"■'^^ 


BS  1A29 
Luther, 

.L88  1903  V. 
Martin,  1483 

1 
-15A6. 

Luther' 

s  commentary 

on  the 

first 

twenty-two  Psalms 

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Address ', 

LUTHERANS  IN  ALL  LANDS  CO., 

BLAIR,  NEBR.,  or  SUNBURY,  PA. 


STANDARD  EDITION  OF  LUTHER'S  WORKS. 


LUTHER'S  COMMENTARY 


ON   THE 


FIRST  TWENTY-TWO  PSALMS 

BASED  ON  DR.  HENRY  COLE'S  TRANSLATION  FROM  THE  ORIGINAL 

LATIN.      REVISED,  ENLARGED,  PARTS  RETRANSLATED 

AND  EDITED   IN   COMPLETE  FORM 


BY 


JOHN  NICHOLAS  LENKER,  D.  D. 

PROFESSOR  OF  OLD  TESTAMENT  EXEGESIS  IN  TRINITY  SEMINARY  OF  THE  UNITED 

DANISH  EV.  LUTHERAN  CHURCH,  BLAIR,  NEBRASKA,  AND  AUTHOR  OF 

"LUTHERANS  IN  ALL  LANDS,"   "DIE  LUTHERISCHE  KIRCHE 

DER  WELT,"  ETC. 


"The  Old  Testament  will  still  be  a  New  Testament 
to  him,  who  comes  with  a  fresh  desire  for  information." 

—Fuller. 


A^OI^.     I. 


LUTHERANS  IN  ALL  LANDS  CO. 

SUNBURY,  PENNSYLVANIA,  U.  S.  A. 
(PRINTED  IN  MINNEAPOLIS,  MINNESOTA,  U.  S.  A.) 

1903. 


Copyright,  1903, 

BY 

PROF.  J.  N.  I^ENKER,  D.  D. 


INTRODUCTION   TO   LUTHER'S  WORKS 
IN  ENGLISH 

GOD'S  BEST  GIFT  TO  US  IS  A  BOOK. 

Dear  reader,  do  you  realize  that  the  most  precious  gift  of  our 
heavenly  Father  to  us,  his  children,  is  in  the  form  of  a  book?  In 
that  book  God  has  given  us  all  that  we  need;  outside  of  it  he  has 
promised  us  nothing.  We  are  indebted  alone  to  the  goodness  of 
God  that  we  are  able  to  read  and  that  we  have  something  really 
good  to  read.  Through  his  servant  Moses,  God  commanded  the 
Israelites  to  preserve  the  book  of  the  law  in  the  ark  of  God  and 
put  it  under  the  care  of  the  Levites.  It  grew  until  it  became  our 
Bible,  which  means  books  or  scriptures  or  writings.  The  Protest- 
ant-Teutonic nations  appropriately  called  it  the  Word  of  God  or 
God's  Word,  (in  German  Gotteg  Wort;  in  Scandinavian 
Gud's  Ord).  See  Gen.  5:1;  Exod.  17:14;  24:7;  Num.  5:23;  Deut. 
17:18;  28:58;  Josh.  8:34;  2  Kings  22:8-16;  Neh.  8:  1-18;  Ecc.  12:12; 
Ezek.  2:9;  Rev.  5:1-10;  22:7-19. 

THE  BIBLE  IS  THE  DIVINE  LIBRARY. 
Really  the  Bible  is  not  only  a  book,  it  is  a  collection  of  66 
books,  39  books  in  the  Old  and  27  in  the  New  Testament.  Moses, 
the  first  divine  writer,  was  also  the  first  librarian  of  a  library  of 
five  books,  called  the  five  books  of  Moses.  It  was  larger  than 
many  think.  Thus  we  see  the  idea  of  the  library  as  well  as  that 
of  the  book  is  divine  in  its  origin.  To  these  five  volumes  by  Moses, 
Joshua  and  Samuel  added  others.  To  the  historical  department  was 
added  the  poetical  by  David  and  Solomon,  and  then  followed  the 
prophetical  by  Isaiah,  Jeremiah  and  others.  Under  the  new  dis- 
pensation the  word  of  God  continued  to  be  written,  collected  and 
preserved  in  the  Gospels,  the  Acts,  the  Epistles  and  Revelation. 
God  used  40  different  holy  men  during  the  long  period  of  1600 
years  to  write  this  divine  book  or  library.  He  alone  gathered 
it,  and  He  alone  has  preserved  it.  To  His  name  alone  be  the  praise! 
Since  the  Canon  closed,  the  Holy  Spirit  has  been  in  the  church 
working  through  the  Word  of  God,  so  that  "of  making  many 
books  there  is  no  end"  is  true  in  our  day  as  it  was  already  in  the 
time  of  Solomon. 

OUR  BIBLE  AND  THE  SACRED  BOOKS   OF  THE  EAST. 

The  late  German  scholar.  Professor  Max  Mueller,  left  coming 

generations    the    following    beautiful    and    learned    christian    testi- 


vi  LUTHER'S  WORKS  IN  ENGLISH. 

mony  as  a  precious  heritage,  when  he  said:  —  "In  the  discharge  of 
my  duties  for  40  years  as  professor  of  Sanskrit  in  the  University 
of  Oxford,  I  have  devoted  as  much  time  as  any  man  living  to 
tJie  study  of  the  Sacred  Books  of  the  East,  and  I  have  found 
the  one  key-note  —  the  one  diapason,  so  to  speak  —  of  all  those 
so-called  sacred  books,  whether  it  be  the  Veda  of  the  Brahmans, 
the  Puranas  of  Siva  and  Vishnu,  the  Koran  of  the  Mohammedans, 
the  Zend-Avesta  of  the  Parsees,  the  Tripitaka  of  the  Buddhists  — 
tlie  one  refrain  through  all  is  salvation  by  works.  They  all  say 
that  salvation  must  be  purchased,  must  be  bought  with  a  price; 
and  that  the  sole  price,  the  sole  purchase-money,  must  be  our 
own  works  and  deservings.  Our  own  holy  Bible,  our  sacred  Book 
of  the  East,  is  from  beginning  to  end  a  protest  against  this  doctrine. 

"Good  works  are,  indeed,  enjoined  upon  us  in  that  sacred  Book 
of  the  East  far  more  strongly  than  in  any  other  sacred  book  of 
the  East;  but  they  are  only  the  outcome  of  a  grateful  heart  —  they 
are  only  a  thank-offering,  the  fruits  of  our  faith.  They  are  never 
the  ransom  money  of  the  true  disciples  of  Christ.  Let  us  not  shut 
our  eyes  to  what  is  excellent  and  true  and  of  good  report  in  these 
sacred  books,  but  let  us  teach  Hindus,  Buddhists  and  Mohamme- 
dans, that  there  is  only  one  sacred  Book  of  the  East  that  can 
be  their  main  stay  in  that  awful  hour  when  they  pass  all  alone  into 
the  unseen  world.  It  is  the  sacred  Book  which  contains  that 
faithful  saying,  worthy  to  be  received  of  all  men,  women  and 
children  —  that  Christ  Jesus  came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners". 
THE  ISSUE  BETWEEN  THE  ORIENT  AND  OCCIDENT. 

These  words  of  the  learned  German  Professor,  who  has  translat- 
ed all  the  sacred  books  of  the  East  into  English,  come  from  one 
who  speaks  with  authority.  They  certainly  put  in  the  clearest 
language  the  fundamental  issue  between  the  Orient  and  the  Occi- 
dent, yea,  the  real  issue  in  human  history,  past  and  future.  We 
make  an  unpardonable  blunder  if  we  think  that  the  Church  of 
Christ  will  have  fulfilled  her  mission  in  the  Orient  when  she  shall 
have  destroyed  all  the  idols  of  wood  and  stone.  The  battle  is 
really  not  one  with  dumb  material  idols  nor  one  of  the  sword,  but  it 
is  a  battle  of  the  mind  and  soul  —  of  books  —  of  one  sacred  book 
of  the  East  against  all  the  other  sacred  books  of  the  East.  The  bat- 
tle was  waged  once  in  the  Orient  and  once  in  the  Occident.  In  the 
Orient  the  one  Book  apparently  lost  and  was  exterminated  from 
the  East  by  the  cunning  of  Satan  and  the  depravity  of  man.  It 
found  a  refuge  in  the  West  where  it  was  again  powerfully  attacked 
by  the  same  everlasting  enemies,  but  here  however  the  one  Book 
gained  the  victory.    The  arts  of  Satan  and  the  wisdom  of  man  were 


LUTHER'S  WORKS  IN  ENGLISH.  vii 

put  to  flight,  "and  Jehovah  caused  his  glorious  voice  to  be  heard", 
Is.  30:30.  To  God's  Word  and  God's  Spirit  be  all  the  praise. 
Bui  they  wrought  through  human  agencies.  God  chose  the  battle 
field,  the  soldiers  and  the  leader.  The  prophet  of  the  West,  whom 
God  raised  up  for  the  occasion,  was  a  poor  monk  who  really 
"shook  the  world."  His  inspired  or  semi-inspired  pen  wrote  so 
well  that 

LUTHER'S    WRITINGS    BECAME    THE    SACRED    BOOKS 
OF  THE  WEST. 

While  reading  so  much  about  the  sacred  books  of  the  East, 
the  inquiry  naturally  arises  what  about  the  sacred  books  of  the 
West,  our  half  of  the  globe,  where  we  live  and  labor?  Has  God 
given  us  no  prophet?  Has  the  Holy  Spirit  been  withheld  from 
one  half  of  God's  creation?  Have  we  no  talent  and  can  we  con- 
tribute nothing  toward  uplifting  the  race?  Against  such  thoughts 
we  naturally  revolt.  However  little  we  may  have  we  want  to  be 
self-conscious  of  what  we  have,  for  "he  that  is  faithful  in  a  very 
little  is  faithful  also  in  much".  Luther's  writings  offer  nothing 
new,  they  have  made  the  one  Book  of  the  East,  The  Book  of  the 
West,  and  restored  the  true  religion  of  the  East  to  the  West. 
DANGER  OF  ORIENTAL  LEAVEN  SPREADING  IN  THE 

OCCIDENT. 

But,  alas!  the  West  is  in  danger  of  being  overwhelmed  with 
Orientalism  through  world's  fairs,  immigration  and  importation  of 
oriental  ideas  and  customs,  as  Is.  2:6  says,  it  is  being  "filled  with 
customs  from  the  East".  But  all  that  is  not  so  dangerous  as  the 
fact  that  the  greater  part  of  the  so  called  Christian  Church  of  the 
West  is  to-day  dominated  by  the  false  teachings  of  the  East.  The 
whole  Grecian  or  Russian  Church,  the  world-embracing  Roman 
Catholic  Church  and  some  of  the  Reformed  denominations.  Thus 
it  seems  the  Christian  Church  may  be  taken  captive  into  eastern 
bondage  as  the  Jewish  Church  was.  While  some  so  called  Lutherans 
may  hold  to  the  false  teachings  of  the  East,  the  Ev.  Lutheran 
Church  with  its  70,000,000  adherents  in  the  world  enthuses  more 
on  justification  by  faith  alone  than  on  any  other  doctrine.  Since 
apostolic  times  no  literature  has  taught  and  defended  this  central 
truth  of  our  sacred  Book  of  the  East  as  the  writings  of  Luther, 
the  greatest  Christian  prophet  of  the  West.  Because  of  this,  and 
it  cannot  be  put  too  strongly,  because  of  this  alone,  we  wish  to 
do  all  in  our  power  to  develop  a  world-wide  movement  to  trans- 
late, publish,  sell,  buy,  read  recommend  and  teach  Luther's  writ- 
ings not  only  in  English,  but  in  every  language. 


viii  LUTHER'S  WORKS  IN  ENGLISH. 

THE  WRITINGS  OF  PAUL  AND  LUTHER. 

All  agree  that  Paul  is  the  greatest  character  in  the  Christian 
Church  and  that  since  Paul's  time  none  equals  Luther.  The  one 
was  a  Jew,  "instructed  according  to  the  strict  manner  of  the  law", 
the  other  a  Gentile  of  the  Gentiles,  born  in  due  time.  They  agree 
perfectly  and  in  their  common  doctrine  alone  the  two  divisions  of 
the  race  may  be  united.  Paul's  writings  are  circulated  over  the 
earth  in  the  Bible,  and  since  no  writer  is  more  Pauline  than 
Luther,  his  writings  should  follow  Paul's  everywhere,  as  the 
best  commentary  on  Paul.  The  race,  nation  or  nationality,  that 
understands,  believes,  appropriates  their  central  doctrine  the  best, 
will  make  the  greatest  progress  in  true  culture  and  civilization,  as 
is  seen  in  the  German,  Scandinavian  and  English  nations  com- 
pared with  others.  The  Scandinavians  are  the  most  universally 
Protestant  nation,  hence  their  average  in  Christian  culture  and 
civilization  is  the  highest.  The  Catholic  elements  in  the  German 
and   English   nations   lower  their   average. 

THE  WRITINGS  OF  MOSES,  PAUL  AND  LUTHER. 

We  may  take  a  broader  view  and  say,  as  Moses  was  the  greatest 
man  in  the  Old  Testament  and  Paul  in  the  New,  such  is  Luther 
in  modern  times.  Moses,  Paul  and  Luther  form  a  trinity  on  the 
earth  and  in  history  whose  unity  can  never  be  broken.  If  in  the 
providence  of  God  a  man  is  raised  up  to  give  a  clearer  and 
stronger  defense  of  the  cardinal  teachings  of  Moses  and  Paul  on 
sin  and  grace,  then  will  Luther  disappear  from  this  trinity,  and 
not  until  then.  As  Moses  and  Paul  live  and  bless  humanity 
through  their  writings,  so  Luther  will  live  and  bless  mankind 
through  his  words,  which  have  been  so  faithfully  handed  down  to 
posterity.  The  highest  recommendation  of  Luther's  writings  are 
the  writings  themselves.  The  best  we  can  do  is  to  call  attention 
to  this  fact.  It  is  what  he  wrote  and  not  what  others  wrote  about 
him,  that  makes  him  Luther. 

LUTHER  AND  BIBLE  SOCIETIES. 

While  in  London  one  place  I  especially  desired  to  visit  and 
that  was  the  large  building  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible 
Society.  When  we  ascended  the  massive  stairs  there  appeared  a 
large  oil  painting,  the  largest  in  the  building.  It  stood  alone  as  it 
covered  nearly  the  entire  wall.  It  was  not  a  scene  from  nature 
but  the  full  stature  of  a  man.  Not  of  a  noted  Englishman  as  one 
might  suppose,  but  of  a  foreigner.  We  had  seen  on  the  continent 
many  statues  and  paintings  of  the  German  Reformer,  but  never 
did  we  see  a  finer  painting  of  him,  nor  one  in  a  more  becoming  and 
significant  place  than  this  painting  here  at  the  very  entrance  to 


LUTHER'S  WORKS  IN  ENGLISH.  ix 

the  greatest  Bible  Society  in  the  world.  There  he  stood  as  we 
see  him  everywhere  with  a  single  book  in  his  hands,  the  holy 
Bible,  and  his  eyes  and  head  turned  toward  heaven  in  prayer  that 
its  central  truths  might  be  faithfully  taught  and  defended.  Luther 
knew  that  the  Bible,  "like  a  diamond,  casts  its  luster  in  every 
direction;  like  a  torch,  the  more  it  is  shaken  the  more  it  shines; 
like  a  healing  herb,  the  harder  it  is  pressed,  the  sweeter  is  its 
fragrance".  He  was  really  the  founder  of  Bible  Societies.  The 
Roman  Catholic  Church  bitterly  opposed  them.  The  pope  without 
the  Bible  and  Luther  with  the  Bible  are  going  everywhere.  The 
question  is  who  shall  dominate  the  civilization  of  the  world? 
LUTHER'S  WRITINGS  IN  THE  REFORMATION  OF 
FRANCE  AND  ENGLAND. 

Although  in  the  Reformation  period  the  University  of  Paris 
condemned  Luther's  writings  and  thus  determined  the  destiny  of 
France,  yet  he  founded  among  his  own  "barbarian"  countrymen  a 
Protestant  University  System  that  leads  the  world  in  thought  and 
places  the  Teuton  race  far  in  advance  of  the  Latin.  To-day  a 
Lutheran  Faculty  of  Theology  teaches  .Luther's  writings  in  the 
very  University  of  Paris  that  condemned  them.  Likewise  in  Eng- 
land Luther's  writings  were  opposed,  even  by  the  king  with  his 
own  pen,  yet  large  numbers  of  "Lutheran  books"  were  imported 
into  England  as  early  as  1520,  and  some  were  early  translated  into 
English,  extensively  circulated  and  read  with  avidity.  Before  the 
English  Bible  and  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer  were  printed 
"England  was  full  of  Lutheran  books".  At  Oxford  University 
Lutheranism  was  so  strong  in  1521  that  cardinal  Wolsey  was  en- 
treated to  check  it.  "Societies  of  those  of  Lutheran  convictions" 
were  organized  at  the  University  of  Oxford  in  1527  and  of  Cam- 
bridge in  1528.  So  many  books  of  Luther  were  coming  into  Scot- 
land that  an  act  of  parliament  was  passed  in  1525  prohibiting 
vessels  to  land  with  books  of  Luther  or  his  disciples  upon  pain 
of  losing  their  cargo  and  the  sailors  themselves  being  imprisoned. 
Thus  the  English  world  once  welcomed  Luther's  writings  though 
opposed  and  we  believe  it  will  do  so  again. 

LUTHER  AND  THE  POPE  IN  AMERICA. 

Why  does  the  British  Museum  Library,  the  largest  library  in  the 
English  world,  take  such  a  pride  in  its  Luther  literature?  Not  for 
the  sake  of  the  Lutheran  church,  but  for  Luther's  sake  and  Eng- 
land's sake.  Because  of  Luther's  relation  to  all  the  problems  of 
England  and  of  humanity.  The  Reformer  has  spoken  almost  on 
every  subject  and  there  is  a  growing  desire  to  know  just  what  he 
said.  Should  America  fall  behind  England  in  its  appreciation  of  the 
writings  of  the  hero  of  the  Reformation? 


X  LUTHER'S  WORKS  IN  ENGLISH. 

Although  the  United  States  has  received  more  from  Martin 
Luther,  the  father  of  modern  civil  and  religious  liberty,  than  from 
any  other  uninspired  man,  yet  the  pope  of  Rome,  the  strongest 
opponent  of  that  liberty,  has  more  influence  in  America  than 
Luther.  Every  public  library  of  our  land  should  be  supplied  with 
his  complete  works  in  the  original  German,  the  classic  language 
of  Protestantism,  and  also  with  his  complete  works  in  English, 
as  many  do  not  read  German.  Give  all  Anglo-Saxons  an  oppor- 
tunity to  read  the  greatest  Saxon  in  pure  Anglo-Saxon! 

The  question  has  often  been  raised  what  is  the  foundation  or 
center  of  our  modern  culture  and  civilization?  Can  it  be  localized? 
We  answer  yes,  the  Teutons,  the  Hanseatic  Germans  and  the  Viking 
Scandinavians  in  Europe  and  America  dominate  it  and  not  the 
Latins,  and  Luther's  writings  have  made  the  Teutons  what  they  are. 
He  is  the  ideal  child  of  the  Teutons  and  their  ideal  father.  They 
moulded  him  before  he  moulded  them.  This  is  saying  much,  but 
not  too  much,  to  those  who  read  Luther  and  not  only  about  him. 
Germany,  Scandinavia,  England  and  America  Germanica  owe  more 
to  Luther's  writings  and  those  who  believe  his  teachings  than  to 
the  writings  of  all  the  popes  and  their  followers:  Neither  the  Slavic 
nor  the  Romance  nations  have  a  Patriot  or  a  Church  Father  equal 
to  the  Teutonic,  Protestant   Luther. 

LUTHER'S  WRITINGS  AND  THE  WORK  OF  THE  HOLY 

SPIRIT. 

More  might  be  said  as  to  the  relation  of  Luther's  writings  to 
the  teachings  of  the  Bible  and  to  the  Teutonic  world-culture,  but 
space  will  not  permit.  Just  a  few  words  on  the  relation  of  those 
writings  to  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  "And  it  shall  be  in  the 
last  days,  saith  God,  I  will  pour  forth  of  my  Spirit  upon  all  flesh". 
Acts  2:17.  Where  and  when?  In  the  Reformation.  That  was 
a  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  through  the  Word.  Nowhere  in  the 
Reformation  do  we  see  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  more  than 
in  the  writings  of  the  great  Gentile  prophet  of  these  last  days. 
They  were  in  part  translated  into  all  the  languages  of  Europe 
and  have  ministered  to  the  Protestant  leaders  of  every  nation. 
Wesley  was  converted  by  reading  them,  they  inspired  the  Mora- 
vians in  their  foreign  missions  and  John  Bunyan  preferred  them 
to  all  books  except  the  Bible.  New  Christian  life  came  to  Germany 
under  Francke,  to  Sweden  under  Rosenius,  to  Norway  under  Hauge 
and  to  Denmark  under  Wilhelm  Beck  by  circulating  and  reading 
Luther's  teachings.  The  Holy  Ghost  testified  of  Christ  in  Luther's 
heart  and  he  also  bore  witness.  Do  we  not  dishonor  the  Holy 
Spirit  when  we  do  not  honor  the  best  christian  writings  since  the 
Apostles?     If  those  writings     were     translated,     published,     sold. 


LUTHER'S  WORKS  IN  ENGLISH.  xi 

bought,  recommended  and  taught  in  all  languages  as  in  the  time  of 
the  Reformation,  we  would  see  more  of  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  in  converting  sinners  and  edifying  saints  in  the  Occident  and 
in  the  Orient.  Many  see  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  only  in 
their  own  hearts  and  lives  or  in  their  own  congregation  and 
synod,  but  not  in  the  whole  church  and  in  the  whole  world  of  to-day 
or  of  the  past  through  the  testimony  of  his  chosen  servants,  hence 
they  have  little  faith  and  hope  for  his  work  in  the  future.  While 
Luther  was  not  inspired  like  Isaiah  or  John,  yet  he  was  inspired 
or  semi-inspired  and  we  are  apt  to  give  too  little  rather  than 
too  much  honor  to  the  Holy  Ghost  for  the  heritage  of  classic 
Protestant  literature  from  his  pen.  We  honor  Luther  most  when 
we  honor  him  who  honored  Luther  and  whom  Luther  honored, 
namely  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  relation  of  the  work  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  to  the  central  teaching  of  the  Bible  and  of  Luther's  writings 
is  an  interesting  and  important  theme,  as  is  suggested  in  the  ex- 
planation of  the  third  article  of  the  Creed  in  the  small  catechism. 
A  WORD  IN  BEHALF  OF  LUTHER  TO  LUTHERANS. 

To  the  7,200  pastors,  12,000  churches  .and  10,000,000  adherents 
of  the  Ev.  Lutheran  Church  in  the  United  States,  with  their  135 
colleges  and  academies  and  160  periodicals,  this  may  seem  un- 
necessary. As  we  profess  intelligently  and  conscientiously  to  bear 
the  name  of  this  Teuton  of  the  Teutons,  the  greatest  prophet  of 
the  West,  let  us  grasp  the  full  meaning  in  it.  Let  us  not  forget 
the  rock  whence  we  were  hewn!  Is  it  not  time  that  his  writings 
be  given  their  deserving  place?  Inspired  by  what  non-Lutherans 
have  done  and  will  do  to  translate  and  circulate  Luther  in  Eng- 
lish, will  we  not  do  our  part,  for  the  sake  of  our  pastors,  con- 
gregations and  schools  of  the  future,  all  of  which  will  be  English? 
MORE  LUTHERISM  IN  LUTHERANISM  AND  PROTEST- 
ANTISM. 

A  careful  examination  of  the  bibliography  of  some  3,000  vol- 
umes under  the  word  Luther  in  the  catalog  of  the  British  museum 
library  raises  the  question  what  Englishman  did  more  for  Eng- 
land than  Luther,  as  the  Scandinavians  and  Finns  say,  what  Scan- 
dinavian has  done  more  for  us  than  the  German  Reformer?  It  is 
a  high  compliment  to  Luther,  if  not  to  Lutherans,  that  nearly  all 
those  English  translations  of  Luther  were  made  by  scholars  who 
were  not  Lutherans.  There  is  a  difference  between  Lutherism 
and  Lutheranism,  as  there  is  between  Calvinism  and  Calvinistic- 
ism,  if  I  may  coin  a  word  from  the  adjective  of  the  proper  noun. 
The  Germans  and  Scandinavians  are  more  fortunate  in  their  names; 
they  say,  "Lutherthum"  and  "Lutherdom"  or  "Lutherismus".  It 
is  safer  to  be  disciples  of  Luther  than  of  any  disciple  of  Luther." 


xii  LUTHER'S  WORKS  IN  ENGLISH. 

The  very  word  Calvinism  suggests  at  once  an  appeal  direct  to 
the  w^ritings  of  Calvin,  while  Lutheranism  suggests  the  teachings 
of  disciples  of  Luther,  or  of  Lutherans.  In  this  respect  the  Re- 
formed Church  honors  her  founder  more  than  the  Lutheran 
Church  does  her  leader,  though  her  boast  is  that  she  does  not  bear 
his  name. 
LUTHER'S  WRITINGS  THE  COMMON  HERITAGE  OF 
PROTESTANTISM  AND  CHRISTIANITY. 
The  mere  fact  the  restored  apostolic  church  was  called  after 
his  name  by  his  enemies  has  unjustly  made  Luther  in  the  eyes  of 
many  a  sectarian,  narrow  personality,  when  the  truth  is,  no  broad- 
er or  more  catholic,  apostolic  character  is  found  in  modern  history. 
He  is  greater  than  any  denomination  or  nationality.  Lutheranism, 
Protestantism  and  Christianity  in  their  future  struggles  will  find 
next  to  the  Bible  their  greatest  support  and  defense  in  the  writings 
of  Luther. 

LUTHER'S  WRITINGS  ARE  GROWING  MORE  POPULAR. 
One  reason  Luther's  works  have  not  been  issued  in  English  is 
that  some  have  thought  and  advocated  that  only  a  few  of  his  works 
were  worthy  of  translation.  Such  persons  do  not  know  Luther, 
or  the  needs  of  our  own  times.  Rome,  religious  fanaticism,  and  ig- 
norance of  the  Word  of  God,  should  continually  hear  his  voice. 
The  complete  editions  of  Luther  appeared  in  German  as  follows: 
I,  "Wittenberg  Edition,  1539 — 1559;  2.Jena,  1555 — 1558;  3,  Alten- 
burg,  1661 — 1664;  4,  Leipsic,  1729 — 1740;  Walch,  1740 — 1753;  6,  Er- 
langen,  1826 — 1857;  7,  Kaiser  or  Weimar,  since  1883;  8,  St.  Louis- 
Walch,  since  1883.  In  the  i6th  century,  two  editions;  in  the  17th 
one;  in  the  i8th  two,  but  in  the  19th  century  three  and  they  the 
best  three.  Thus  Luther  is  growing  more  popular  in  the  best 
educated  nation  in  the  world.  He  is  one  prophet  who  is  honored 
in  his  own  country.  When  we  think  what  an  influence  these  eight 
editions  have  had  upon  the  life  and  the  scholarship  of  the  German 
people,  we  realize  what  the  English  world  has  lost  by  never  having 
even  one  set  of  Luther's  works  complete.  Dr.  Cole  started  in  1823 
with  limited  resources  to  issue  several  volumes,  which  were  the  means 
of  bringing  a  lady  in  Scotland  to  a  knowledge  of  the  truth,  who 
furnished  the  money  to  Issue  other  volumes,  but  in  the  midst  of 
his  labor  this  faithful  servant  of  Christ  was  called  to  his  reward. 
If  those  who  are  blessed  by  reading  Luther  in  their  vernacular, 
contributed  toward  the  issuing  of  other  volumes,  as  this  Scotch 
lady  did,  we  would  have  all  of  Luther  instead  of  a  little  part  of 
him  in  English,  and  one  complete  edition  after  another  would  fol- 
low as  in  the  German,  and  this  would  be  an  inspiring  example  to 
other  nations. 


LUTHER'S  WORKS  IN  ENGLISH.  xiii 

LUTHER'S  WRITINGS   IN   LUTHERAN   SCHOOLS   AND 
LIBRARIES. 

During  three  annual  visits  to  nearly  all  of  the  156  Lutheran 
educational  institutions  in  America  I  learned  to  know  their  libra- 
ries, and  the  state  of  things  existing  there  is  no  honor  to  the 
church  nor  to  the  institutions.  Only  two  colleges  have  library 
buildings,  the  Steensland  memorial  library  of  St.  Olaf,  Northfield, 
Minn.,  and  the  Zimmerman  memorial  library,  Wittenberg,  Spring- 
field, Ohio.  In  not  one  can  all  the  30  volumes  of  Luther's  works 
in  English  be  found.  Many  did  not  know  what  volumes  had  been 
translated.  In  a  Lutheran  college  and  theological  seminary  I  re- 
cently sought  in  vain  for  a  set  of  Luther's  works  in  the  original, 
and  was  told  that  there  was  not  a  set  in  the  whole  synod,  and  the 
synod  numbered  over  10,000  communicant  members.  This  suggests 
the  question,  should  not  synods  discuss  the  importance  of  circu- 
lating Luther's  writings.  Paul  wrote  to  Timothy,  "Give  heed  to 
reading,"  i  Tim.  4:13.  But  what  can  the  English  Lutheran  Timo- 
thies read  of  their  spiritual  father?  Why  build  a  machine  shop 
or  a  work  shop  without  machinery  and  tools.  Let  us  examine 
Luther's  writings  and  take  to  heart  what  he  said  on  the  library. 
Alas!  Protestant  schools  have  forgotten  that  Luther  was  the  most 
renowned  university  professor  of  his  age,  and  a  large  proportion 
of  his  writings  were  addressed  to  students. 

Some  pastors  and  laymen  who  are  loud  in  their  public  praise 
of  the  Lutheran  church  and  of  Luther,  and  Sunday  school  libraries 
with  hundreds  of  volumes,  possess  not  a  single  book  written  by 
Luther,  and  very  little  about  him.  Truly  there  is  no  greater  need 
than  more  Lutherism  in  our  English  Lutheranism.  Institutions, 
schools  and  congregations,  with  charter  and  constitution  pledging 
them  to  teach  and  defend  the  doctrines  Luther  taught  and  de- 
fended, must  be  exhorted  and  urged  as  Lutherans  to  purchase 
Luther's  works  in  the  only  language  thej^  understand,  (and  then 
they  often  will  not).  Yet  they  would  not  change  their  name  and 
constitution  under  any  consideration.  They  may  think  they  have 
found  a  better  way  to  honor  their  name  and  gain  the  end  of  their 
charter.  Their  libraries  are  filled  with  second  and  third  class  liter- 
ature, an  abundance  of  trash  and  hash,  at  a  great  outlay  of  cash, 
and  yet  they  do  not  complain. 

THE  MAGNETIC  ATTRACTION  OF  GERMANY,  WITTEN- 
BERG AND  LUTHER. 
Some  advocate  we  cannot  be  satisfied  with  translations  and  need 
not  go  to  Germany  for  scholarship.  Even  those  who  are  indebted 
to  German  scholarship  for  nearly  all  they  have  talk  thus.  German 
patriotism    has   become    world-wide,    and   is    growing,    and    as   the 


xiv  LUTHER'S  WORKS  IN  ENGLISH. 

Kingdom  of  God  on  the  earth  is  not  among  angels,  or  birds  or 
cattle,  but  among  human  beings,  who  have  formed  different  na- 
tionalities, we  may  well  honor  those  nationalities  whom  God  has 
honored.  The  Scandinavian  countries,  whose  universities  rank 
next  to  the  German,  and  all  other  European  Protestants,  have  been 
going  to  Germany  for  their  education  and  theology  ever  since 
the  Reformation.  This  will  continue,  and  as  all  America  is  fol- 
lowing, it  is  impossible  to  turn  the  current.  Where  should  we 
Protestants  go,  except  to  our  own  fatherland,  the  birthplace,  the 
battlefield,  the  historic  center  and  the  classic  land  of  Protestant- 
ism? What  Jerusalem  is  to  the  Jew  and  Rome  is  to  the  Catholic, 
that  the  little  university  village  of  Wittenberg  is  to  the  Protestant 
in  general  and  to  the  Lutheran  in  particular.  Let  us  honor  our 
father  and  mother,  even  if  they  be  German,  and  translate  more" 
faithfully  the  best  they  have  written  or  may  write.  The  Protestant 
universities  of  Germany,  founded  by  Luther,  are  working  out 
problems  that  will  be  a  blessing  to  all  mankind,  and  they  promise 
to  be  a  great  defense  of  Luther's  Bible  and  Luther's  writings  in 
the  coming  battles  with  Orientalism.  Luther's  writings  will  in- 
terest us  more  in  the  mission  of  Luther's  fatherland  in  the  world. 
LUTHER'S  WRITINGS  AND  THE  SCANDINAVIAN 
AMERICANS. 

As  Luther  on  the  Psalms  has  never  been  translated  by  the 
Scandinavians,  and  as  their  literature  on  the  Psalter,  strange  to 
say,  is  rather  meager,  I  take  special  pleasure,  as  an  English  pro- 
fessor of  theology  in  a  Scandinavian  seminary,  in  making  this 
permanent  contribution  to  the  exegetical  and  devotional  literature 
of  the  Swedish,  Norwegian  and  Danish  American  Lutherans,  who 
in  their  native  tongues  have  no  access  to  this  fundamental  work 
of  "the  mightiest  post-apostolic  master  in  Israel."  As  work  in  the 
class  room  was  the  occasion  that  Luther's  first  original  publica- 
tion on  the  Psalms  appeared,  so  the  duties  in  the  seminary  last 
year  in  teaching  the  exegesis  of  the  Psalms  with  the  help  of 
Luther  and  Delitzsch,  brought  the  conviction  that  agitation  must 
give  place  to  action.  Since  none  of  Luther's  works  are  needed 
more  for  immediate  use  in  the  school  and  the  home  than  his  com- 
mentary on  the  Psalter,  it  therefore  appears  first  in  our  series, 
though  I  preferred  to  hold  the  manuscript  for  a  few  improvements. 
As  the  most  Germans  will  read  Luther  in  the  original,  we  must 
look  to  the  Scandinavian  and  English  Lutherans  for  encourage- 
ment. Therefore  those  volumes  that  are  not  accessible  to  the 
Scandinavians  and  Americans  will  be  issued  first. 
LUTHER'S  WRITINGS  AND  THE  ENGLISH  LUTHERANS. 

Considering  their  age  and  strength  few  of  Luther's  writings  arc 


LUTHER'S  WORKS  IN  ENGLISH.  xv 

found  in  the  homes  of  English  Lutherans.  Germans  and  Scandi- 
navians willingly  become  Americanized  but  they  justly  protest 
against  being  Anglicized,  either  in  the  Episcopal  or  Non-Corform- 
ist  direction.  How  can  pastors  and  members,  synods  and  schools 
enthuse  over  Luther  and  the  Lutheran  church  and  not  over  Lu- 
ther's writings?  The  real  Luther  can  not  be  separated  from  his 
writings,  as  Moses  and  Paul  can  not  from  theirs.  In  America 
the  young  say  our  greatest  hope  is  in  English,  and  the  old  reply 
thoughtfully,  there  is  also  our  greatest  danger.  That  danger  grows 
less  in  proportion  as  both  are  dominated  by  Luther's  writings. 
WHO  CAN  DEVELOP  AN  APPETITE  TO  READ  LUTHER? 

Our  professors,  pastors,  Sunday  school  teachers  and  church 
members;  our  congregations,  societies,  synods,  schools  and  church 
papers.  Will  it  pay  for  them  to  do  so?  Perhaps  not  in  dollars 
and  cents.  But  it  will  pay  all  concerned  in  many  ways.  It  is  not 
enough  to  translate,  publish,  and  sell  the  books.  The  great  task 
is  to  develop  the  appetite  to  read  them.  To  recommend  Luther's 
writings  to  Lutherans  is  like  recommending  the  Bible  to  Christ- 
ians. It  is  not  a  question  whether  Lutheran  homes  will  have  books 
or  no  books,  but  will  their  books  be  Lutheran  or  un-Lutheran.  The 
latter  will  be  the  inevitable  result  unless  the  church  bestirs  herself. 
She  should  first  introduce  Luther  himself  into  her  homes. 

LUTHER'S  WRITINGS  AND  FUTURE  REFORMERS. 

Again,  we  should  circulate  Luther's  writings  because  of  their 
vital  relation  to  the  future  development  of  Protestantism.  The 
constant  danger  in  Protestantism  has  always  been  two  false  tend- 
encies, the  one  leading  to  high  church  ritualism,  ceremonialism 
and  formalism,  back  to  Romanism,  and  the  other  leading  to  ir- 
reverent, radical  fanaticism  and  all  manner  of  excesses.  There  is 
no  better  antidote  against  either  than  the  writings  of  the  Reformer 
of  reformers.  To  the  Romanists  they  were  too  radical  and  to  the 
ultra-reformers  too  conservative.  Therefore  the  Reformation  under 
Luther  was  not  only  a  Reformation  of  Romanism,  but  it  was  a 
sound  Reformation  of  all  the  Reformations  before  his  day,  which 
contained  so  many  elements  of  weakness  and  error  that  they 
themselves  needed  a  reformation. 

The  many  reformations  in  the  East  and  the  West  since  Luther's 
day  foreshadow  an  endless  number  of  coming  reformations,  sects 
and  schisms,  so  that  we  have  occasion  to  fear  these  future  re- 
formers as  much  as  Romanism,  because  they  do  not  hold  firmly  to 
the  central  teachings  of  Moses,  Paul  and  Luther.  To  the  future 
reformers  in  the  Orient  and  the  Occident  we  warmly  recommend 
the  translation  and  study  of  the  sacred  writings  of  the  greatest 
Reformer  in  the  Christian  Church. 


xvi  LUTHER'S  WORKS  IN  ENGLISH. 

LUTHER'S  WRITINGS  AND  THE  SOCIAL  PROBLEM. 

In  the  i6th  century,  European  society,  being  without  the  teach- 
ings of  the  Bible,  was  dominated  by  humanism,  a  culture  derived 
from  the  heathen  classics  of  the  Latins  and  Greeks,  and  unrest 
reigned  everywhere,  when  as  Dr.  Schafif  says,  "The  Protestant  Re- 
formation assumed  the  helm  of  the  liberal  tendencies  and  move- 
ments of  the  reawakened  life  of  the  century,  directed  them  into 
the  channel  of  Christian  life  and  saved  the  world  from  a  disastrous 
revolution.  It  was  negative  and  destructive  towards  error  and 
positive  and  constructive  towards  truth.  It  was  conservative  and 
progressive."  Our  unprecedented  material  prosperity  and  the 
elimination  of  the  Christian  element  from  all  popular  education 
seem  to  threaten  America  with  a  like  disastrous  revolution,  and 
until  God  raises  up  a  better  refuge  to  which  to  flee,  let  us  hold 
firmly  to  the  writings  that  saved  the  world  from  one  such  disaster. 
As  the  Bible  is  the  only  book  that  will  solve  the  social  problem  of 
the  world,  the  classic  writings  of  Protestantism  deserve  careful 
consideration  in  the  future  struggles  of  humanity. 
WHAT  WILL  THE  CIRCULATION  OF  LUTHER'S  WRIT- 
INGS ACCOMPLISH? 

1st.  They  will  help  us  to  understand  our  Sacred  Book  of  the 
East  and  thus  help  us  to  hear  the  glorious  voice  of  Jehovah's 
grace.  About  80  of  the  107  volumes  of  Luther's  works  were  writ- 
ten to  explain  and  enforce  the  teachings  of  Bible  passages. 

2d.  As  they  are  the  best  sacred  writings  of  the  West  they  prove 
that  the  best  sacred  writings  of  the  Orient  and  Occident  agree,  and 
that  they  have  a  common  enemy.  As  the  East  gave  us  the  Bible, 
we  should  gratefully  give  it  back  to  the  East  accompanied  with 
the  best  Protestant  defense  of  its  teachings. 

3d.  They  will  strengthen  the  Protestant  bulwark  against  Ro- 
manism as  no  other  writings  can  do. 

4th.  They  will  help  us  to  appreciate  the  rich  heritage  of  our 
Protestantism,  in  the  Protestant  school,  family  and  state. 

Sth.  They  will  be  a  valuable  contribution  to  Homiletics,  and 
Exegetics,  which  to-day  need  Luther  as  a  corrective. 

6th.  They  will  be  a  check  to  high  church  ritualism,  ceremonial- 
ism, and  formalism. 

7th.  They  will  teach  the  excesses  of  the  Non-Conformists  that 
there  is  a  more  excellent  w^ay. 

Sth.  They  will  help  to  unite  all  the  Teutons  of  the  world  and 
teach  them  their  true  mission  among  other  nations. 

gth.  They  will  fortify  us  against  social  disasters  and  lead  us 
to  a  sure  refuge,  if  it  come  as  in  the  Reformation. 


PREFACE. 

HISTORY  OF  THE  MOVEMENT  TO  TRANSLATE  LUTHER 
INTO  ENGLISH. 

In  1881 — 2  while  traveling  through  the  European  countries  to 
gather  the  latest  material  for  "Lutherans  In  All  Lands",  an 
opportunity  was  naturally  afforded  to  study  an  intimately  related 
subject,  "Luther  In  All  Lands".  It  was  found  that  since  the 
Reformation  some  of  his  writings  had  been  translated  in  all 
civilized  languages,  that  they  were  gaining  in  favor  and  that 
no  better  work  could  be  done  than  to  encourage  Lutherans  in 
all  lands  to  do  their  utmost  to  have  Luther's  writings  translated 
into  all  languages.  En  route  to  Egypt  and  Palestine  in  1898 — 9. 
I  made  a  second  tour  through  the  European  countries  in  order 
to  publish  at  Leipsic  in  the  Reformer's  mother  tongue  at  the 
opening  of  the  20th  century  a  new  book,  illustrating  Luther's  ex- 
planation of  the  third  article  of  the  Apostles'  Creed,  entitled  "Die 
Lutherische  Kirche  der  Welt".  In  the  midst  of  this  work  God 
gave  me  the  opportunity  to  examine 

LUTHER'S     WRITINGS     IN     THE     LARGEST     ENGLISH 

LIBRARY. 
In  England  I  became  interested  in  studying  the  influence  of 
Luther's  writings  among  the  Non-Conformists,  as  we  are  apt  to 
view  the  Lutheran  movement  in  England  only  from  the  standpoint 
of  the  Episcopal  Church.  While  studying  Luther  in  the  British 
JMuseum  Library  of  London,  the  best  place  in  the  world  to  study 
him.  I  was  no  less  surprised  than  pleased  to  have  handed  me  a 
quarto  double  column  catalog  devoted  exclusively  to  the  literature 
of  Martin  Luther,  about  3,000  volumes  in  different  languages. 
This  was  a  part  of  the  catalog  of  the  British  Museum  Library. 
The  equal  of  this  Luther  literature  is  not  to  be  found  in  Germany, 
Scandinavia  or  America.  There  are  prospects,  however,  of  it  being 
duplicated  in  some  leading  libraries  in  the  United  States.  At  once 
two  of  the  best  theological  second-hand  book  dealers  were  en- 
gaged to  purchase  all  the  copies  of  these  rare  books  possible,  and 
during  the  last  three  years  quite  a  collection  has  been  gathered, 
which  will  be  offered  for  sale.  Brethren  in  America,  who  saw 
some  of  these  works,  remarked: — "these  books  ought  to  be  re- 
translated and  re-issued.  You  are  known  to  the  church  as  an 
ecumenical  Lutheran  and  you  ought  to  agitate  the  matter.  It 
ought  to  be  the  work  of  all  synods  and  nationalities  and  not  of 


2  PREFACE. 

one  or  two."  As  there  was  nothing  I  would  rather  agitate  than 
this,  a  beginning  was  made.  But  the  coldness,  indifference  and 
discouragements  were  so  many  and  so  great,  that  my  judgment 
said,  it  is  best  to  drop  the  whole  matter.  However  my  heart  re- 
sented this  and  in  the  name  of  God  and  for  the  sake  of  his  church, 
encouraged  by  a  few  from  every  synod  and  nationality,  this  volume 
marks  the  beginning  of  a  movement,  the  success  of  which  will 
largely  depend  upon  the 

ADVANCE  SUBSCRIBERS, 
and  what  they  do  in  helping  to  circulate  the  edition.  From  Dr. 
Henry  Cole,  the  best  and  most  voluminous  English  translator  of 
Luther,  it  is  in  place  to  quote  the  following  here,  "We  want,  in 
God's  great  and  righteous  cause,  in  our  time,  a  few  wealthy  and 
good  Josephs  of  Arimathea,  Matt.  27:57,  to  supply  the  poverty 
of  God's  poor,  James  2:5,  and  the  covetousness  of  the  world's 
rich,  Ps.  119:36."  May  this  quotation  help  to  issue  Luther's  works 
in  America  as  it  did  in  England!  Often  $25,000  to  $roo,ooo  are 
raised  for  a  fine  church  edifice  whose  influence  is  confined  to  a 
small  locality.  Why  can  not  at  least  one  like  sum  be  raised  to  trans- 
late, publish  and  circulate  over  the  English  world,  Luther's  works? 
Lutheran  benevolence  can  not  be  directed  to  a  better  cause. 
OUR  TRANSLATIONS  OF  LUTHER'S  WORKS 
v/ill  be  based  on  the  new  Kaiser  or  Weimar  critical  edition  in  the 
original  Latin  and  German,  with  reference  to  the  Erlangen,  the 
Walch  and  the  St.  Louis-Walch  editions.  About  one  third  of 
Luther's  works  were  written  in  Latin  and  the  English  translations 
will  be  from  the  original  Latin  and  not  from  the  German  trans- 
lation of  the  Latin.  The  aim  is  to  produce  a  complete,  faithful, 
critical  but  popular  edition,  and  therefore  the  best  features  of  the 
different  German  editions  will  be  appropriated.  The  texts  and 
numerous  passages  of  Scripture  will  be  quoted  from  the  American 
Revised  Edition  of  the  Bible  of  1901.  Instead  of  giving  the  varia- 
tions of  the  Latin  Vulgate  text,  from  which  Luther  wrote  his  La- 
tin books,  in  the  original  Latin  in  ( — ),  as  in  the  St.  Louis-Walch, 
a  literal  English  translation  of  those  variations  will  be  given  in 
( — ).  Special  care  has  been  taken  to  compare  the  proof  texts. 
The  verse  and  not  only  the  chapter,  as  in  the  Erlangen  Edition,  is 
given.  In  this  the  St.  Louis-Walch  Edition  was  very  helpful. 
THE  MECHANICAL  MAKE-UP  OF  THE  VOLUMES. 
Much  attention  has  been  given  to  the  mechanical  execution  of 
(he  volumes,  as  to  size,  type,  paper  and  binding,  in  order  to  secure 
all  in  uniform  binding.  Seven  of  the  eight  editions  of  Luther  in 
German   are   in    large,    bulky    quarto    and     folio     volumes.      The 


PREFACE.  3 

volumes  in  the  Erlangen  edition  are  more  handy  but  a  little  small, 
therefore  we  adopted  the  most  popular  size  of  American  books. 
For  convenience,  practical  use  and  completeness  it  will  compare 
favorably  with  any  German  edition. 

THE  BEST  TRANSLATIONS  ARE  NOT  TOO  GOOD. 
As  we  cannot  have  Luther  in  English  after  the  idiomatic  Ger- 
man style,  we  will  try  to  give  the  complete,  pure  sense  of  Luther 
in  the  best,  neatest,  most  elegant  and  most  readable  idiomatic 
English  yet  attempted.  In  order  to  secure  the  best  results  we  will 
first  thoroughly  revise  and  reissue  a  few  of  the  best  of  the  trans- 
lations by  Dr.  Henry  Cole,  as  they  are  out  of  print  and  scarcely 
known  in  America.  Dr.  Cole  says  his  design  in  using  the  labors 
of  others  "was  not  to  avoid  trouble;  for  it  was  as  much  labor  to 
transscribe,  and  to  modernize  the  orthography,  etc.,  as  it  would 
have  been  to  retranslate."  While  Cole's  translations  are  deficient, 
yet  they  are  the  best,  and  by  retranslating  some  parts,  by  adding 
the  many  portions  he  omitted  and  by  carefully  revising  his  work, 
good  results  will  be  obtained,  though  the  labor  be  as  great  as  a 
new  translation.  However  even  some  of  Cole's  works  will  be  re- 
translated. 

BETTER  HAVE  LUTHER  IN  "POOR  ENGLISH"  THAN  NOT 
HAVE  HIM  AT  ALL. 
True,  it  is  not  easy  to  translate  Luther.  However  his  voice 
v.'ould  be  heard  more  in  the  English  world  to-day  had  the  difficul- 
ties in  translating  him  not  been  exaggerated,  and  had  not  the 
translations  been  so  severely  and  unjustly  criticized  that  few  have 
courage  to  undertake  the  task.  All  such  should  read  what  Luther 
wrote  to  the  polished  Erasmus,  when  he  said,  I  am  a  barbarian 
and  write  barbarously,  but  consider,  not  how  I  write,  the  style, 
but  whaJ:  I  write,  the  thought.  We  had  better  have  this  thought  in 
I'oor  English  than  not  have  it  at  all.  To  all  who  want  to  know 
Luther's  spirit  and  teachings,  the  "poor  English"  cry  will  be  no 
barrier.  All  the  translators  of  Luther  did  the  best  they  could 
and  we  are  very  grateful  for  their  labors.  In  our  stafif  of  colabor- 
ators  the  aim  will  be  to  secure  scholars  who  will  not  merely  trans- 
vert  words  from  one  language  into  another,  but  will  trans-convey 
the  mind  and  trans-fuse  the  spirit  of  Luther  into  classic  English. 
Here  it  is  not  only  necessary  to  know  the  languages  perfectly  from 
which  and  into  which  you  translate,  but  the  translator  of  the 
Reformer  must  possess  his  faith  and  spirit,  his  religion  and  wor- 
ship.    We  want  Luther  and  not  the  translator  in  English. 


4  PREFACE. 

ENGLISH  SHOULD  BE  THE  FIRST  LANGUAGE  TO 
TRANSLATE  LUTHER'S  COMPLETE  WORKS. 

While  eight  editions  of  all  of  Luther's  works  have  appeared  in 
German,  they  have  never  been  issued  complete  except  in  Ger- 
man. More,  however,  has  been  translated  into  English  than  into 
Scandinavian  or  any  other  language,  which  is  due  to  the  high 
appreciation  of  Luther  in  the  British  empire.  As  this  apprecia- 
tion is  growing  in  England  and  America,  and  as  Calvin  has  been 
translated  into  English  in  52  volumes,  why  should  not  the  Eng- 
lish people  be  the  first  to  complete  a  translation  of  all  the  volumes 
of  the  greatest  Reformer?  The  late  German  editions  are  sold  at 
high  prices,  but  not  too  high,  considering  the  work  and  money 
invested,  and  the  discounts  are  consequently  low.  Hence  in  this 
respect  the  first  edition  in  English  can  not  do  differently.  To  ad- 
vance subscribers,  however,  liberal  terms  will  be  made  according 
to  the  number  of  copies  ordered,  afterwards  the  discounts  must 
be  small  unless  new  editions  are  called  for.  The  volumes  will  cost 
from  $1.50  to  $2.50  each  retail,  neatly  printed  on  good  paper  and 
well  bound,  sent  direct  from  the  bindery  to  the  advance  subscrib- 
ers, upon  receipt  of  the  price  when  notified  the  volumes  are  ready 
for  delivery. 

TOPICAL  AND  TEXTUAL  INDEX   OF  LUTHER'S  WRIT- 
INGS IN    ENGLIS. 

Many  years  may  be  required  to  complete  the  work  and  to  the 
impatient  critic  it  may  be  said,  the  volumes  will  improve  as  the 
work  progresses.  Therefore  we  will  be  thankful  for  any  criticisms 
or  suggestions  mailed  to  us  direct.  At  present  we  are  in  position 
to  furnish  to  public  and  private  libraries  twenty  five  volumes  of 
Luther's  works  in  English,  though  not  all  new  and  of  uniform 
binding.  It  is  all  important  to  issue  a  good  topical  and  textual  in- 
dex to  Luther  in  English,  so  that  not  only  preachers,  but  everybody 
may  readily  find  what  Luther  said  on  any  subject  or  any  passage 
of  scripture.  It  may  not  be  a  Luther  concordance  but  it  will  be 
made  as  helpful  to  scholars  as  possible,  like  the  index  of  the 
Erlanger  Edition. 


EDITOR'S  INTRODUCTION   TO  THE 
PSALMS 

The  Name.  In  Hebrew  there  is  no  general  name  for  the 
I'sahns.  Names  of  parts  were  appHed  to  the  whole.  Thus 
Tephilloth,  prayer-spngs  or  prayers  from  Psalm  ^2  120 ;  Tehil- 
lim,  praise-songs,  as  the  element  of  divine  praise  pervades  all 
the  Psalms;  Shir,  song,  denotes  the  joyful  song  of  praise; 
Mizmor,  applied  to  65  Psalms,  means  "to  adorn  to  the  Lord". 
The  word  Psalm  is  from  the  Greek  translation  of  the  Old 
Testament,  from  "psallein",  to  touch  or  strike  a  cord,  to  play, 
not  to  sing,  except  among  those  who  took  its  usage  from  the 
Septuagint.  Stringed  music  is  the  natural  accompaniment  of 
such  poetry  as  proceeds  from  an  immediate  gush  of  feeling. 

The  Contents,  ist.  Here  we  are  throughout  on  the  terri- 
tory of  feeling  and  on  strictly  religious  territory.  2nd.  All 
the  Psalms  are  Songs  of  Israel,  appointed  to  be  used  in  the 
services  of  the  sanctuary.  3rd.  They  are  such  songs  as  had 
been  composed  under  the  special  co-operation  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  They  do  not  present  any  new  doctrine,  they  rest  upon 
the  Pentateuch,  the  historic  Word  of  God,  and  are  "the  heart's 
echo  to  the  spoken  Word  of  God."  Their  value  consists  in  that 
they  give  us  an  insight  into  the  heart  of  the  Old  Testament 
saints  and  into  the  hidden  wonders  of  the  true  religion.  Their 
buoyancy  and  freshness,  their  simplicity,  their  consoling  and 
elevating  character,  from  Moses  to  Nehemiah,  and  the  fact  that 
they  compose  a  part  of  the  Word  of  God,  give  them  a  dis- 
tinction above  our  church  songs. 

Their  Threefold  Division,  ist.  Psalms  that  proceed  from 
a  spirit  chiefly  moved  and  actuated  by  joy,  in  lively  admira- 
tion of  God  and  in  gratitude  for  his  goodness.  2nd.  Psalms 
that  proceed  from  a  depressed  and  mournful  frame  of  mind, 
variations  of  the  "Lord,  have  mercy  on  us,"  Vvdiich  alternates 
with  the  hallelujah  in  the  lives  of  the  saints.  3rd.  Psalms  that 
proceed  from  a  more  quiet  reflective  state  of  mind,  religious, 
moral  or  didactic  Psalms,  designed  to  instruct. 


6  EDITOR'S  INTRODUCTION. 

The  History  of  Psalmodic  Poetry.  The  fact  that  more  than 
one  half  of  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  Testament  are  poetical  in 
their  form  makes  the  Old  Testament  a  book  of  poems.  Since 
poetry  and  music  are  as  old  as  the  race,  the  Bible  gives  us  the 
oldest  samples,  some  even  before  the  flood,  as  follows :  Gen. 
4:23-24;  9:25-27;  27:27-29;  49:1-27;  Ex.  15:1-18;  Num. 
6:22-26;  10:35-36;  21:14-15,  17-18  and  27-30;  Num.  23  and 
24  chs. ;  Deut.  32  and  33  chs. ;  Josh.  10:13;  Judges' 5  ch. ;  i 
Sam.  2  ch.  Hence  Hebrew  poetry  was  born  with  the  nation 
in  the  age  of  Moses.  No  book  of  the  Bible  is  more  rooted 
in  the  Pentateuch  than  the  Psalms.  Samuel  laid  the  founda- 
tion for  the  prosperity  of  Psalmodic  poetry  by  his  religious 
revival  and  reformation,  and  especially  by  his  schools  of  the 
prophets.  David's  talents  were  called  forth  by  his  cross  or 
persecution  and  by  his  ascension  to  the  throne,  when  he  as- 
signed poetry  a  prominent  place  in  the  worship  of  the  sanc- 
tuary, and  he  is  considered  the  author  of  80  Psalms. 

The  Book  of  Psalms  is  composed  of  the  following  five 
books:  Ps.  1-41 ;  42-72;  73-89;  90-106;  107-150;  which  are 
the  copy  and  the  echo  of  the  five  books  of  the  law  or  the  Thora. 
Each  of  the  first  four  books  concludes  with  a  doxology,  and 
the  place  of  the  fifth  doxology  is  Ps.  150.  The  composition 
of  the  Psalter  extends  over  1,000  years  of  the  national  life,  and 
runs  parallel  with  the  Scriptures  from  the  Pentateuch  to  Ma- 
lachi.  It  was  the  Hymn  Book  of  the  Hebrew  Church,  and  like 
the  Pentateuch  it  was  used  in  divine  worship. 

The  Poetic  Structure  of  the  Psalms.  If  we  expect  to  find 
our  ideas  of  rhyme  and  meter  in  early  Hebrew  poetry  we  will 
be  disappointed.  The  versification  of  the  poetry  of  all  other 
nations  is  verbal,  that  of  the  Hebrews  real.  In  our  poetry  the 
versification  depends  on  the  zvords  and  sound  instead  of  simply 
on  the  thought.  In  the  Hebrew  poetry  all  this  is  reversed. 
The  pause  in  the  progress  of  the  thought  determines  the  point 
at  which  the  verse  or  line  must  end.  Hence  Hebrew  poetry 
can  easily  be  translated  verse  for  verse  and  line  for  line.  The 
relation  is  in  the  sense^  not  in  the  sound.     It  is  a  relation  not 


EDITOR'S  INTRODUCTION.  7 

of  words  but  of  things,  called  by  Lowth  parallelism.  There 
are  (i)  synonymous,  (2)  antithetic,  and  (3)  synthetic  or  con- 
structive parallelisms.     See  Henstenberg  and  Delitzsch. 

I  can  do  no  better  than  add  a  few  testimonials  from  leading 
scholars  in  the  Church  as  to  the  value  of  the  Psalter. 

"What  the  heart  is  in  man,  that  the  Psalter  is  in  the  Bible." 
John  Arndt,  who  explained  the  Psalms  in  450  sermons. 

"The  Psalter  is  the  first  hymn-book  of  the  Church  and  will 
outlive  all  other  hymn-books.  It  is  still  the  Common  Prayer 
zind  Hymn-Book  of  the  Christian  Church,  as  it  was  that  of  the 
Jewish  Church."     Phillip  Schafif. 

"Not  only  was  it  used  more  than  any  other  part  of  the 
Old  Testament,  by  the  writers  of  the  New,  but  it  is,  in  a  spe- 
cial sense,  the  peculiar  inheritance  of  the  Christian  Church 
through  all  its  different  branches";  and  "if  we  descend  from 
churches  to  individuals,  there  is  no  book  which  has  played  so 
large  a  part  in  the  history  of  so  many  human  souls."    Stanley. 

"In  consequence  of  the  Reformation  the  rose  garden  of  the 
Psalter  also  began  to  diffuse  its  odours  as  in  the  renewed  fresh- 
ness of  a  May  morning,  and  German  hymns,  born  again  out  of 
the  Psalter,  resounded  from  the  shores  of  the  Baltic  to  the 
foot  of  the  Alps,  with  all  the  fervor  of  a  renewed  first  love. 
Rendered  into  imperishable  hymns,  the  old  Psalms  passed  once 
more  into  the  congregational  singing  of  the  German  as  well  as 
of  the  Scandinavian  Lutheran  Church."  Delitzsch,  the  motive 
of  whose  life  was  to  make  the  Old  Testament  better  known  to 
the  Christians  and  the  New  Testament  to  the  Jews. 

"In  Luther,  who  began  his  academical  lectures  in  15 13  with 
the  Psalms,  there  is  combined  the  experimental  depth  of  the 
Fathers  with  the  Pauline  recognition  of  the  doctrine  of  free 
grace,  the  knowledge  of  which  was  restored  by  means  of  him 
to  the  Church.  In  respect  to  experimental,  mystical,  and  yet 
healthy  knowledge  of  the  meaning  of  Scripture,  he  is  incom- 
parable. His  exposition  of  the  Psalms,  especially  of  the  pe- 
nitential Psalms  and  of  Psalm  90,  are  superior  to  all  previous 


8  EDITOR'S  INTRODUCTION. 

works  on  the  subject,  and  will  always  remain  a  mine  of  wealth 
for  future  laborers."    Delitzsch, 

"Melanchton  in  his  preface  to  certain  expositions  addressed 
to  students  says:  Luther's  services  in  this  province  (the 
Psalms)  will  be  appreciated  by  all  who  will  diligently  compare 
them  with  the  ancient  expositions,  and  especially  with  the  best 
ones.  It  is  for  you  especially  (students)  to  recognize  Luther's 
fidelity  and  industry,  and  to  make  it  your  endeavor  to  bring 
to  the  reading  of  these  expositions  a  pure  heart,  and  to  re- 
press human  opinions  and  prejudices  —  in  brief  that  you  read 
the  writings  of  Christ  under  the  guidance  of  Christ. 

"Where  can  a  pastor  find  a  treasure  comparable  to  these 
volumes  of  Luther  in  the  elucidation  of  the  Divine  Psalter?" 
Dr.  E.  J.  Wolf. 

Luther  began  his  university  career  by  giving  lectures  on 
the  writings  of  David  and  Paul,  the  pillars  of  his  theology. 
As  early  as  15 13  his  exposition  of  the  seven  Penitential  Psalms 
was  published  in  Latin.  His  first  original  work  in  German, 
which  appeared  in  March  or  April  of  1517,  was  an  exposition 
of  the  same  Psalms.  In  15 16  he  wrote  a  preface  to  his  first 
issue  of  that  remarkable  book,  German  Theology.  Thus  it  is 
clear  that  Luther's  labors  started  in  leading  sinners  to  Christ 
rather  than  in  opposing  the  Pope.  A  full  knowledge  of  his 
early  study  in  the  Psalms  gives  us  a  new  and  a  more  correct 
view  of  Luther's  life,  which  in  many  respects  resembled  Da- 
vid's. That  study  was  a  fit  introduction  to  the  reformatory 
Theses,  which  enjoin  true  evangelical  repentance.  Luther  him- 
self wrote,  "there  is  no  book  of  the  whole  Bible,  in  which  I 
have  been  so  much  exercised  as  in  the  Psalms."  The  above  is 
the  best  recommendation  of  his  commentary  on  the  Psalms. 

In  closing  I  wish  to  make  grateful  acknowledgement  of 
valuable  assistance  received  from  E.  F.  Bartholomew,  D.  D., 
English  Professor  in  the  Swedish  Augustana  College,  Rock 
Island,  111.  J.  N.  LENKER. 

Sunbury,  Pa.,  Sept.  9,  1902. 


LUTHER'S     PREFACES. 

Preface  to  the  Revised  Edition  of  the  German  Psalter,  A. 

D,  1531. 

The  Psalter  has  been  lauded  and  loved  by  many  holy 
fathers  above  the  other  books  of  the  Scripture;  and,  indeed, 
the  work  itself  doth  sufficiently  praise  its  author.  Neverthe- 
less, we  also  must  utter  our  praise  and  thanks  for  it. 

In  past  years  there  was  handed  about  almost  nothing  but  a 
multitude  of  legends  of  saints,  passionals,  lives  of  saints ;  and 
the  world  was  so  filled  with  them,  that  the  Psalter  lay  under  the 
seat,  and  in  such  great  darkness,  that  not  one  psalm  was  rightly 
imderstood ;  nevertheless,  it  shed  abroad  such  an  excellent 
precious  fragrance  that  all  pious  hearts  drew  devotion  and 
power  even  from  the  unknown  words,'  and  the  book  was  there- 
fore dear  to  them. 

For  my  part,  I  think  that  a  finer  book  of  lives  and  legends 
of  the  saints  has  never  appeared  in  the  earth,  nor  ever  can 
appear,  than  the  Psalter.  For  if  one  were  to  desire  that  out  of 
all  the  lives,  legends,  and  histories,  the  best  were  picked  out 
and  brought  together  and  set  forth  to  the  best  advantage ;  why, 
the  book  thus  produced  would  be  just  the  Psalter  we  now 
have.  For  here  we  find,  not  what  one  or  two  saints  only  have 
done,  but  what  the  Head  himself  of  all  the  saints  has  done, 
and  what  all  the  saints  still  do :  how  they  are  affected  towards 
God,  towards  friends,  and  towards  foes ;  how  they  bear  them- 
selves and  act  in  every  sort  of  peril  and  tribulation :  —  and 
all  this,  besides  the  divine  wholesome  doctrines  and  precepts 
of  all  sorts  to  be  found  in  it. 

Yea,  the  Psalter  ought  to  be  precious  and  dear,  were  it 
for  nothing  else  but  the  clear  promise  it  holds  forth  respecting 
Christ's  death  and  resurrection,  and  its  prefiguration  of  his 
kingdom  and  of  the  whole  estate  and  system  of  Christianity; 
insomuch  that  it  might  well  be  entitled  a  Little  Bible,  wherein 


lO  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

everything  contained  in  the  entire  Bible  is  beautifully  and 
briefly  comprehended,  and  compacted  into  a  fine  enchiridion 
or  Hand  Manual.  It  seems  to  me  as  if  the  Holy  Ghost  had 
been  pleased  to  take  on  himself  the  trouble  of  putting  together 
a  short  Bible,  or  book  of  exemplars,  touching  the  whole  of 
Christianity  or  all  the  saints;  in  order  that  they  who  are  un- 
able to  read  the  whole  Bible,  may  nevertheless  find  here  almost 
the  whole  sum  comprehended  in  one  little  book. 

But  above  all,  there  is  this  excellent  quality  and  virtue 
in  the  Psalter,  that  whereas  other  books  prate  much  about 
the  deeds  of  the  saints  but  say  very  little  about  their  words, 
the  Psalter  is  the  very  paragon  of  books,  yielding  a  most 
sweet  fragrance  to  the  reader;  since  it  relates  not  only  the 
deeds  of  the  saints  (or  as  editions  render  it :  what  Christ  and 
all  the  saints  have  done),  but  also  their  words  —  how  they 
spake  and  prayed  to  God,  and  do  yet  speak  and  pray:  inso- 
much that  the  other  legends  and  lives,  in  comparison  with  it, 
hold  forth  to  us  mere  dumb  saints,  whereas  the  Psalter  sets 
before  us  right  valiant,  living  saints. 

And  verily  a  dumb  man,  when  you  compare  him  with  one 
who  speaks,  is  no  better  than  a  man  half  dead.  Of  all  that  a 
man  does,  there  is  nothing  more  potent  or  more  excellent 
than  speech;  since  it  is  by  the  faculty  of  speech  that  man  is 
chiefly  differenced  from  other  animals,  rather  than  by  his  form 
or  his  other  works.  For  indeed  a  block  can,  by  the  graver's 
art,  receive  the  form  of  a  man ;  and  a  beast  can  see,  hear,  smell, 
sing,  walk,  stand,  eat,  drink,  fast,  thirst  and  suffer  hunger, 
frost  and  a  hard  bed  every  whit  as  well  as  a  man. 

Moreover,  it  is  not  the  poor  every-day  words  of  the  saints 
that  the  Psalter  expresses,  but  their  very  best  words,  spoken 
by  them,  in  deepest  earnestness,  to  God  himself,  in  matters 
of  utmost  moment.  Thus  it  lays  open  to  us  not  only  what 
they  say  about  their  works,  but  their  very  heart  and  the  in- 
most treasure  of  their  souls ;  so  that  we  can  spy  the  bottom 
and  spring  of  their  words  and  works,  —  that  is  to  say,  their 


luthek's  prefaces.  II 

heart,  —  what  manner  of  thoughts  they  had,  how  their  heart 
did  bear  itself,  in  every  sort  of  business,  peril,  and  extremity. 
This  is  what  neither  is  done  nor  can  be  done  by  the  legends 
and  lives  of  the  saints,  which  boast  of  nothing  but  their  works 
and  miracles.  For  I  cannot  know  how  a  man's  heart  is  af- 
fected, although  I  should  see  or  hear  tell  of  ever  so  many  ex- 
cellent works  he  has  done. 

And  as  I  had  much  rather  hear  a  saint  speak  than  behold 
his  works ;  even  so  would  I  yet  much  rather  spy  his  heart 
and  the  treasure  in  his  soul,  than  hear  his  words.  And  this 
the  Psalter  enables  us  to  do  most  plentifully  with  respect  to 
all  the  saints ;  so  that  we  can  be  certain  as  to  how  their  hearts 
were  affected,  and  what  was  the  tenor  of  their  words,  both 
towards  God  and  man. 

For  a  human  heart  is  like  a  ship  on  a  wild  sea  tossed  by 
the  four  winds  of  heaven.  Here  it  .is  smitten  with  anxiety 
and  the  dread  of  future  destruction ;  there  it  is  driven  with 
dismay  and  sadness  by  reason  of  present  evils.  Now,  there  is 
a  soft  breath  of  hope  and  presumption  of  future  welfare ;  again, 
there  is  a  breeze  of  security  and  gladness  in  present  posses- 
sions. 

Now  winds  like  these  make  a  man  earnest  in  his  words, 
make  him  open  his  heart  and  utter  its  secrets.  For  one  who 
is  shut  up  in  fear  and  necessity  will  discourse  of  calamity 
very  differently  than  one  who  swims  in  gladness ;  and  one 
who  swims  in  gladness  will  discourse  and  sing  of  gladness 
very  differently  than  one  who  is  shut  up  in  fear.  It  does  not 
come  from  the  heart,  as  the  saying  is,  when  a  mourner  laughs 
and  a  frolicker  weeps ;  that  is,  the  bottom  of  his  heart  is  not 
uncovered  nor  utters  itself  at  all. 

What  is  the  Psalter,  for  the  most  part,  but  such  earnest 
discourse  in  all  manner  of  such  winds  ?  Where  are  finer  words 
of  gladness  than  in  the  Psalms  of  Praise  and  Thanksgiving? 
There  thou  lookest  into  the  hearts  of  all  the  saints  as  into 
fair  and  pleasant  gardens,  yea,  as  into  the  heavens,  and  seest 


12  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

what  fine,  hearty,  pleasant  flowers  spring  up  therein,  in  all 
manner  of  fair  gladsome  thoughts  of  God  and  his  benefits. 
And  again,  where  wilt  thou  find  deeper,  more  plaintive,  more 
sorrowful  words  of  grief  than  in  the  Psalms  of  Complaint? 
There  thou  lookest  again  into  the  hearts  of  all  the  saints,  as 
into  death,  yea,  as  into  hell.  How  they  are  filled  with  dark- 
ness and  gloom  by  reason  of  the  wrath  of  God !  So  also,  when 
they  discourse  of  fear  and  hope,  they  use  such  words,  that 
no  painter  could  so  pourtray,  nor  any  Cicero  or  orator  could 
so  express  the  fear  or  hope. 

And,  as  I  said,  the  best  of  all  is,  that  these  words  of  theirs 
are  spoken  before  God  and  unto  God;  which  puts  double 
earnestness  and  life  into  the  words.  For  words  that  are 
spoken  only  before  men  in  such  matters,  do  not  come  so 
mightily  from  the  heart ;  are  not  such  burning,  living,  piercing 
words.  Hence  also  it  comes  to  pass  that  the  Psalter  is  the 
Book  of  all  the  Saints ;  and  every  one,  whatsoever  his  case 
may  be,  finds  therein  psalms  and  words  which  suit  his  case 
so  perfectly,  that  they  might  seem  to  have  been  set  down  solely 
for  his  sake ;  in  such  sort  that  anything  better  he  can  neither 
make  for  himself,  nor  discover,  nor  desire.  One  good  effect 
of  which,  moreover,  is  that  if  a  man  take  pleasure  in  the  words 
here  set  forth  and  find  them  suit  his  case,  he  is  assured  he  is 
in  the  communion  of  the  saints,  and  that  all  the  saints  fared 
just  as  he  fares,  for  they  and  he  sing  all  one  song  together: 
particularly,  if  he  can  utter  them  before  God  even  as  they  did ; 
which  must  be  done  in  faith,  for  an  ungodly  man  relishes 
them  not. 

Finally,  in  the  Psalter  we  find  such  safety  and  such  well- 
assured  guidance,  that  in  it  we  can  without  danger  follow  all 
the  saints.  For  other  exemplars  and  legends  of  dumb  saints 
bring  forward  works  which  it  is  impossible  to  imitate ;  and 
many  more  works  do  they  bring  forward  which  it  would  be 
dangerous  to  imitate,  and  which  commonly  engender  sects  and 
parties,  seducing  and  withdrawing  men  from  the  communion 


LUTHEE  S  PREFACES.  I3 

of  the  saints.  But  the  Psalter  protecteth  thee  from  parties 
and  keepeth  thee  in  the  communion  of  the  saints :  for  it  teach- 
eth  thee  how  thou  mayest,  in  gladness,  and  fear,  and  hope,  and 
sorrow,  cherish  the  same  temper  and  speak  the  same  words, 
as  all  the  saints  have  cherished  and  spoken. 

To  sum  up ;  wouldest  thou  see  the  Holy  Christian  Church 
portrayed  in  living  form  and  color,  as  it  were  in  miniature? 
Open  the  Psalter.  Thus  thou  shalt  have  before  thee  a  fine, 
bright,  spotless  mirror,  that  will  shew  thee  what  kind  of  thing 
Christianity  is.  Yea,  thou  shalt  therein  find  thine  own  self, 
and  the  right  "know  thyself";  God  himself  also  and  all  his 
creatures. 

Let  us,  therefore,  take  heed  also  to  thank  God  for  such 
unspeakable  benefits,  and  to  receive,  use  and  discipline  our- 
selves in  them,  to  the  praise  and  honour  of  God,  in  order  that 
we  bring  not  upon  ourselves  wrath  by  our  unthankfulness. 
For,  formerly,  in  the  time  of  darkness,  what  a  treasure  it 
had  been  esteemed  if  men  had  been  able  rightly  to  understand 
one  psalm,  and  to  read  or  hear  it  in  plain  German ;  and  yet 
they  were  not  able.  Blessed  now  are  the  eyes  which  see  the 
things  that  we  see,  and  the  ears  which  hear  the  things  that 
we  hear!  And  yet  take  heed,  —  alas  we  already  see,  that  we 
are  like  the  Jews  in  the  wilderness,  who  said  of  the  manna, 
"Our  soul  loatheth  this  light  bread."  It  behooves  us  to  mark 
what  is  written  in  the  same  place,  how  they  were  plagued  and 
died ;  in  order  that  the  same  may  not  befall  us. 

To  this  end,  may  the  Father  of  all  grace  and  mercy  help  us 
through  Jesus  Christ,  our  Lord :  to  whom  be  blessing  and 
thanks,  honour  and  praise,  for  this  German  Psalter,  and  for 
all  his  innumerable,  inexpressible  gifts,  for  evermore;  Amen, 
Amen  1 


14  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

Preface  to  the  Edition  of  the  Psalter  published  at  Neuhiirg 
on  tJie  Danube  in  1545. 

Every  Christian  who  would  abound  in  prayer  and  piety 
ought,  in  all  reason,  to  make  the  Psalter  his  manual ;  and, 
moreover,  it  were  well  if  every  Christian  so  used  it  and  were 
so  expert  in  it  as  to  have  it  word  for  word  by  heart,  and  could 
have  it  even  in  his  heart  as  often  as  he  chanced  to  be  called 
to  speak  or  act,  that  he  might  be  able  to  draw  forth  or  employ 
some  sentence  out  of  it  by  way  of  a  proverb.  For  indeed  the 
truth  is,  that  everything  that  a  pious  heart  can  desire  to  ask  in 
pra3^er,  it  finds  here  psalms  and  words  to  match  so  aptly  and 
sweetly,  that  no  man  —  no,  nor  all  the  men  in  the  world  — 
shall  be  able  to  devise  forms  of  words  so  good  and  devout. 
Moreover,  the  Psalter  doth  minister  such  instruction  and  com- 
fort in  the  act  of  supplication ;  and  the  Lord's  Prayer,  that  the 
one  helpeth  us  finely  to  understand  the  other,  and  the  two 
together  make  a  pleasant  harmony. 

Not  only,  therefore,  ought  the  books  of  devotion  formerly 
in  use  to  be  forbidden  and  done  away  with,  being  little  else 
than  unchristian  lies  and  abuses,  and  that  even  in  their  best 
parts,  wherein  our  Lord's  Passion  is  indeed  introduced,  not 
however  for  the  edification  of  faith,  but  only  to  be  shamefully 
abused  for  temporal  gain,  but  care  ought  to  be  taken  that  no 
new  prayers  break  in  again.  For  already  it  looks  as  if  every- 
body were  beginning  to  compose  Prayers,  and  Paraphrases 
of  the  Psalter,  according  to  his  own  devotional  feeling,  and 
were  seeking  thus  to  have  his  work  famous  and  in  general 
use  in  the  Church  and  amongst  the  Christian  people;  just  as 
if  the  Psalter  and  the  Lord's  Prayer  had  been  some  wretched 
trifling  thing.  If  care  be  not  taken  to  keep  within  measure, 
the  Psalter  and  Lord's  Prayer  will  come  to  be  despised  as 
before.  I  admit  that  some  of  these  new  compositions  are 
good ;  but  it  is  to  be  presumed  that  the  Psalter  and  Lord's 
Prayer  are  better,  yea,  the  best.     One  who  hath  learned  to 


luthee's  prefaces.  15 

pray  them  aright,  hath  learned  to  pray  well,  far  above  all 
prayers,  especially  since  the  Psalter  has  now,  by  God's  grace, 
been  rendered  into  intelligible  German. 

I  have  heard  the  story  of  a  godly  person  to  whom  the 
Lord's  Prayer  was  so  dear  that  he  would  ever  pray  it  with 
tears  in  his  eyes,  for  deep  devotion,  A  well  meaning  bishop, 
thinking  to  improve  the  man's  devotion,  took  from  him  the 
Lord's  Prayer,  and  gave  him  a  multitude  of  other  good  pious 
prayers ;  but  thereupon  he  lost  all  devotion,  and  was  fain  to  let 
those  pious  prayers  go  their  ways  and  resume  the  Lord's 
Prayer.  In  my  opinion,  any  man  who  will  but  make  a  trial 
in  earnest  of  the  Psalter  and  the  Lord's  Prayer,  will  very 
soon  bid  the  other  pious  prayers  adieu,  and  say.  Ah,  they  have 
not  the  sap,  the  strenght,  the  heart,  the  fire,  that  I  find  in  the 
Psalter;  they  are  too  cold,  too  hard,  for  my  taste! 

Our  Blessed  Lord,  who  hath  given  us  the  Psalter  and 
Lord's  Prayer  and  taught  us  to  use  them  in  prayer,  grant  us 
also  the  Spirit  of  prayer  and  of  grace,  that  with  gladness  and 
earnest  faith  we  may  pray  mightily  and  without  ceasing;  for 
it  is  necessary  for  us  to  do  this.  So  hath  he  commanded,  and 
so  will  He  have  it  at  our  hands.  To  Him  be  praise,  honour, 
and  thanks,  for  ever.    Amen ! 


l6  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 


LUTHER'S  DEDICATION  TO  THE  ELECTOR  OF 
SAXONY. 

JESUS. 

Martin  Luther,  to  the  most  illustrious  Prince  and  Lord, 
Frederic,  Archmarshal  of  the  Holy  Roman  Empire,  Elector, 
Duke  of  Saxony,  Marquis  of  Meissen,  Landgrave  of  Thu- 
ringia,  his  most  gracious  Patron,  sendeth  greeting. 

Prudently  and  rightly  do  they  act  who  dedicate  and  in- 
scribe their  studies  and  monuments  of  genius  to  illustrious 
persons ;  because  in  this  way  they  procure  for  their  works 
both  authority  and  protection  against  those  aim.s  of  malignity 
which  are  sure  to  be  levelled  at  them :  for  such  is  the  state 
of  human  affairs,  that  the  more  excellent  things  are,  the  more 
they  are  exposed  to  envy  and  to  the  shafts  of  the  malevolent. 
Whence  it  comes  to  pass,  that  laudable  literature  and  all  the 
productions  of  genius  and  erudition,  which  are  without  doubt 
some  of  the  best  things,  and  things  worthy  the  particular  and 
serious  attention  of  man,  stand  not  a  little  in  need  of  their 
Mecsenas,  their  Augustus,  and  also  of  their  Ulysses,  who  may 
strike  their  Thyrsites  with  his  ivory  sceptre.  Some  also  pro- 
cure the  sanction  of  the  names  of  illustrious  persons,  that  they 
may  thereby  immortalize  those  names,  and  hand  down  to  the 
records  of  fame  the  individuals  to  whom  they  make  their 
dedication,  with  the  view  that  posterity  may  be  led  to  love  their 
virtues,  and  that  many  may  be  animated  by  the  examples  thus 
held  before  them  in  such  praises. 

Others  again  do  it  from  the  motive  to  express  thereby  their 
thanks,  and  thus  in  some  degree  make  a  return  for  benefits 
received,  and  leave  behind  them  a  testimony  of  their  gratitude 
to  those  by  whom  they  have  been  treated  with  kindness. 


LUTHER  S   DEDICATION.  I7 

But,  most  illustrious  Prince,  neither  of  these  motives  an- 
swers my  design.  For,  in  the  first  place,  I  am  aware  that 
none  of  the  productions  which  proceed  from  me  deserve  a 
patron ;  and  so  far,  it  is  fortunate  that  I  know  my  deficiency. 
Even  if  I  could  produce  that  which  should  be  worthy  of  the 
sanction  of  a  patron's  name,  yet  I  should  by  no  means  be 
anxious  to  put  it  under  a  patron's  protection.  Nay,  as  soon 
as  I  learned  from  the  Holy  Scriptures  how  terror-filled  and 
perilous  a  matter  it  was  to  preach  publicly  in  the  church 
of  God,  and  to  speak  in  the  midst  of  those  whom  you  know 
will  in  the  last  day  be  your  judges,  for  the  present  false  accu- 
sers I  fear  not  thus,  and  indeed  in  the  presence  of  God,  the 
beholder  of  all  things,  in  the  sight  of  angels,  and  in  the  sight 
and  hearing  of  all  creatures  who  incline  their  ears  to  the  word 
of  God  (for  it  is  right  to  believe  that  all  things  honor  the 
word  of  God  by  which  they  were  created,  except  man  and 
satan,  who  have  become  deaf  through  ingratitude).  For  in- 
deed I  had  no  greater  desire  than  that  I  might  remain  silent, 
yea  that  a  sponge  might  erase  all  that  I  had  in  my  poor 
foolish  way  published  abroad.  For  it  is  a  momentous  and 
awe  inspiring  matter  to  render  an  account  unto  God  for  every 
idle  word.  Nor  does  he  now  keep  me  in  the  ministry  of  the 
Word,  but  by  an  overruled  obedience  to  a  will  above  my  own, 
that  is,  his  divine  will;  for,  as  to  my  own  will,  it  always 
shrunk  from  this  ministry,  nor  is  it  fully  reconciled  unto  it 
to  this  hour. 

In  the  next  place,  what  fame,  what  praise,  what  immortal- 
izing of  a  name,  can  your  most  illustrious  Highness  hope  from 
me?  being  yourself  a  Prince,  who  not  only  by  all  those  other 
endowments  that  exalt  a  Prince,  but  also  by  a  distinguished 
love  of  learning  and  learned  men,  have  procured  to  yourself 
that  name  and  glory,  that,  instead  of  wanting  an  Appion  to 
immortalize  your  name,  you  yourself  immortalize  the  name 
of  an  Appion,  and  of  all  who  attempt  to  give  you  celebrity? 
Who  is  there  that  knows  not  that  Prince  Frederic  has  given 


l8  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

an  example  to  all  princes,  by  his  patronage  and  promotion  of 
literature?  Your  Wittenberg  now  devotes  itself  to  the  Greek 
and  the  Hebrew  with  very  good  results.  The  arts  are  taught 
with  greater  success  than  ever.  The  true  theology  of  Christ 
now  triumphs  over  the  vain  imaginations  and  disputations  of 
men,  which  have  no  scope  for  thought  or  research.  All  these 
things  flourish  under  your  auspices,  at  your  expense,  and 
under  your  protection.  Oh,  that  the  dignitaries,  who  ought 
themselves  to  be  the  foremost  in  showing  forth  examples  in 
these  things  for  the  princes  of  the  laity  to  imitate,  would  but 
imitate  the  examples  that  the  laity  thus  shows  them !  But, 
such  is  the  unhappily  fallen  state  of  the  ecclesiastical  power 
and  opulence ! 

Again,  why  should  I  attempt  to  render  you  gratitude  for 
the  abundant  kindness  you  have  heaped  upon  me,  when  you 
have  thrown  them  upon  one  who  never  deserved  them.  At 
your  expense  has  honor,  (the  doctorate  hat)  been  placed  on 
my  head,  which  forces  me  into  public  life,  of  which  I  am 
ashamed ;  yet  I  must  wear  it,  as  it  is  desired  by  those  I  am 
indebted  to  obey.  What  cares,  attentions,  expenses,  and  in- 
deed, perils,  did  that  monstrous  production  of  mine  cost  your 
gracious  Highness  which  owed  its  birth  to  the  indulgences ! 
Your  whole  dominion  knows  that  my  prince  showed  a  much 
greater  concern  for  me,  than  I  did  for  myself.  In  my  usual 
daring"  way  I  cast  the  die,  being  always  ready  to  attempt  and 
to  expect  extremities ;  for  I  hoped,  upon  that  occasion,  that, 
if  I  should  be  removed  from  teaching  others,  I  shouold  find 
some  corner  of  the  world  into  which  I  might  retire,  after  I 
had  left  public  life,  to  which  I  was  always  averse.  But  the 
persevering  endeavors  of  your  gracious  Highness  prevailed, 
and  when  I  was  willing  to  sufifer  those  things  which  my 
enemies  longed  to  inflict  upon  me,  neither  they  nor  I  had  our 
will. 

But  still,  I  am  glad  that  such  was  the  issue  of  matters, 
if  it  were  only  on  this  account,  that  there  is  not  a  Christian 


LUTHER  S  DEDICATION.  1 9 

that  ought  wot  to  feel  a  serious  grief  and  concern,  that  the 
impudence  of  a  certain  set  of  fellows  proceeds  to  such  a  pitch 
of  audacity  in  the  church  of  Christ,  that  they  presume  to 
ensure  themselves  success  in  their  filthy  purposes  and  lusts 
under  cover  of  the  venerable  name  and  authority  of  the  church. 
The  more  kind,  good,  and  learned  the  Pope  happens  to  be, 
the  greater  enormities  these  monsters  promise  to  themselves, 
by  effecting  them  under  the  cloak  of  his  authority.  For,  with 
what  numberless  and  manifest  lies  did  they  profane  and  defile 
the  sacred  name  of  Leo  X.  in  this  one  little  point,  the  indul- 
gences, in  order  to  terrify  the  conscience  of  one  poor  brother, 
and  to  establish  their  own  horrible  tyrannies?  Though  it  is 
not  a  thing  so  much  to  be  wondered  at,  that  there  should  be 
found  such  characters  to  prostitute  the  name  of  the  high  Pope, 
and  to  abuse  it ;  for  the  patriarchs  of  such  fellows,  that  is,  the 
false  prophets,  false  apostles,  and  false  christs,  did  the  same ; 
who  made  the  holy  name  of  God  and  of  Christ  to  serve  their 
lies.  Of  the  holy  name  of  that  God  and  Lord,  I  say,  even 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ;  whose  are  all  those  things  which  we 
admire  in  you,  most  illustrious  Prince ;  and  may  he  acknowl- 
edge, increase,  and  preserve  the  same  to  all  eternity.  This 
prayer  I  offer  up,  which  is  all  I  can  do,  as  a  return  for  the 
favours  I  have  received  at  your  hands. 

Hence,  the  reason  why  I  wished  to  send  forth  these  pro- 
ductions, such  as  they  are,  for  productions  they  certainly  are, 
though  I  cannot  find  confidence  enough  to  call  them  interpre- 
tations or  commentaries,  from  a  consciousness  of  my  poor 
ability  betrayed  in  them,  under  the  sanction  of  the  name  of 
your  most  illustrious  Highness,  was  none  other,  than  because 
I  greatly  love  you.  For  I  am  fully  persuaded  of  the  pure  and 
chaste  love  which  your  heart  hath  for  the  Holy  Scriptures: 
and  my  heart,  to  use  the  words  of  Deborah,  "is  toward"  such 
Princes.     Judges  5  -.g. 

And  why  should  I  not  here  declare  in  full  my  thoughts 
concerning  you,  and  the  cause  of  this  my  love  for  you,  that 


20  -  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

those  who  boast  themselves  in  the  holy  Scriptures  may  see 
how  far  a  hypocrite  diliers  from  a  true  theologian  ?  My  very 
good  and  reverend  father  in  Christ,  John  Staupitz,  told  me 
upon  a  certain  occasion,  that  once  while  he  was  staying  with 
your  Highness  the  conversation  turned  upon  those  who  preach 
publicly  to  the  people;  and  that,  according  to  the  wonderful 
penetration  of  your  judgment,  you  said,  'Those  sermons  which 
are  made  up  of  the  cunning  and  traditions  of  men,  are  but 
frigid  things,  and  too  weak  and  ineffectual  to  persuade  us  to 
our  best  interests ;  for  nothing  of  that  kind  can  be  brought 
forth  so  acute,  that  may  not  be  subverted  and  rooted  up  by 
the  same  cunning.  But  the  Holy  Scriptures  carry  with  them 
a  holy  oneness,  which  sounds  in  our  ears  with  such  force  and 
majesty,  even  without  any  exertion  of  ours,  that,  leading  cap- 
tive and  cutting  up  all  the  schemes  of  human  cunning,  it  urges 
and  compels  us  to  acknowledge  "Never  man  spake  like  this 
man."  This  is  "the  finger  of  God,"  for  "he  teaches  as  one 
having  authority,  and  not  as  the  scribes  and  pharisees."  When 
Staupitz  willingly  coincided  and  expressed  his  commendation 
of  these  sentiments,  he  told  me  that  you  put  forth  your  hand 
and  demanded  his  and  said,  'Promise  me,  I  pray  thee,  that 
thou  wilt  always  think  so.' 

And  were  not  this  sentiment  and  this  request  such  as 
would  become  even  a  most  holy  and  high  Pope  ?  and  the  more 
so,  as  it  may  be  clearly  perceived,  that  they  were  not  only 
expressed  in  word,  but  accompanied  with  a  feeling  of  heart? 
Can  we  not,  then,  clearly  discern  who  are  the  true  theologians  ? 
Let  shame,  therefore,  seize  those  theologians  and  lawyers 
especially,  to  whom  the  Holy  Scriptures  have  become  almost 
an  object  of  ridicule,  and  who,  tacking  to  them  their  infinite 
glosses,  pestilently  torment  those,  as  Jerome  says,  Avho,  in 
every  thing  they  say,  wish  to  appeal  to  the  Word  of  God.  As 
if  Christ  had  said  to  Peter,  'command,'  or  'lay  injunctions  on,' 
'teach,'  and  not  rather,  "feed,"  my  sheep;  that  is,  deliver  to 
them  that  which  will  feed  them.     Such  are  fed  by  the  Word 


LUTHER  S   DEDICATION.  21 

of  God  only,  and  not  by  the  opinions  and  traditions  of  men. 
And  moreover,  that  nothing  so  acute  can  be  brought  forward, 
as  you  justly  observed,  which  may  not  be  rebutted  by  the  same 
human  cunning,  is  abundantly  shown  us  in  that  miserable 
workhouse,  in  which  the  disciples  of  Scotus,  Thomas,  Alber- 
tus,  Modernus,  and  all  others  who  have  their  peculiar  follow- 
ers, squander  away  their  time. 

I  confess,  most  illustrious  Prince,  that  by  this  sweet  ac- 
count of  you  which  I  heard,  I  was  wholly  captivated,  and 
constrained  to  love  you.  For  I  know  not  how  it  is,  but  I  can- 
not help  loving  all  whom  I  hear  to  be  lovers  of  the  holy 
Scriptures,  and,  on  the  other  hand,  hating  those  who  are  ob- 
stinate and  despise  them;  so  that,  in  each  respect,  from  the 
force  of  my  feelings,  I  am  filled  with  vehemence,  and,  as  cer- 
tain of  my  good  friends  say  of  me,  am -severe  and  vain-glorious. 
But  let  them  criminate  me  as  they  will :  they  may  give  me 
epithets  both  good  and  bad,  of  the  first,  second  or  third  kind, 
and  impose  them  upon  me,  but  they  wil'  never  take  away  from 
me  the  grand  essentials  of  theology,  nor  extinguish  my  love  of 
them  if  Christ  but  continue  to  smile  upon  me.  I  know  what 
scholastic  theology  did  for  me,  I  know  also  how  much  I  owe 
to  it,  and  I  am  glad  that  I  am  delivered  from  it,  and  give 
thanks  for  my  deliverance  to  Christ  the  Lord.  I  have  no  need 
that  they  should  teach  me  what  it  is,  for  I  know  what  it  is 
already;  nor  is  it  of  any  service  for  them  to  endeavor  to  recon- 
cile me  unto  it,  for  I  vv'ill  have  nothing  to  do  with  it. 

Bear,  therefore,  most  illustrious  Prince,  with  my  desire 
to  send  forth  this  little  work  into  the  w^orld  with  the  name 
of  your  Highness  affixed  to  it,  and  consider  it  as  a  token  of 
my  love.  I  now  for  the  second  time  undertake  the  Exposi- 
tion of  the  Psalms  in  your  Wittenberg,  being  requested  and 
urged  to  do  so  by  my  hearers,  who  are  some  of  the  best  men, 
and  to  whom  I  cannot  deny  that  I  am  a  debtor.  But  I  so 
profess  to  undertake  them,  as  being  quite  unwilling  that  any 
one  should  presume  to  expect  that  from  me,  which  no  one  of 


22  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

the  most  holy  and  most  learned  of  the  fathers  could  ever  yet 
pretend  to,  —  that  I  should  understand  and  teach  the  Psalms 
in  all  respects  according  to  their  real  sense  and  meaning.  It 
is  enough  that  some  men  understand  some  parts  of  them.  The 
Holy  Spirit  always  reserves  much  to  himself  in  order  that  he 
may  keep  us  learners  under  him.  Many  things  he  only  holds 
out  in  order  to  allure  us  on;  and  many  things  he  delivers  to 
us  that  they  may  work  effectually  in  us.  And,  as  Augustine 
has  truthfully  remarked,  'No  man  ever  yet  so  spoke  as  to  be 
understood  by  all  in  all  things;'  which  leaves  that  great  truth 
the  more  manifest,  that  it  is  the  Holy  Ghost  alone  who  has 
the  understanding  of  all  his  own  words. 

Wherefore,  it  becomes  me  candidly  to  confess,  that  I  know 
not  whether  or  not  mine  is,  to  a  certainty,  the  true  meaning 
of  the  Psalms,  though  I  nevertheless  hold  no  doubt,  that  what 
I  have  delivered  is  truth.  For  what  Augustine,  Jerome,  Atha- 
nasius,  Hilary,  Cassiodorus,  and  others,  have  said  upon  the 
Psalms,  is  truth,  though  it  is  sometimes  very  far  indeed  from 
the  literal  meaning.  And  thus,  this  second  exposition  which 
I  have  undertaken,  is  very  different  from  my  first.  And  indeed 
there  is  no  book  in  the  whole  Bible  in  which  I  have  been  so 
much  exercised  as  in  the  Psalms :  till  at  last  I  came  to  this 
opinion,  that  no  man's  interpretation,  provided  it  be  a  godly 
one,  should  be  rejected,  unless  he  that  rejects  it  submit  him- 
self to  the  same  law  of  retaliation.  One  man  may  fall  short 
in  many  things,  and  another  in  more.  I  may  see  many  things 
which  Augustine  did  not  see.  And  I  am  persuaded  that  others 
will  see  many  things  which  I  do  not  see  now. 

What  course  then  remains  for  us  to  pursue,  but  that  we 
mutually  assist  each  other,  and  pardon  those  who  fail,  know- 
ing that  we  are  liable  to  fail  ourselves  ?  For  let  us  not  by 
any  means  follow  the  example  of  that  most  detestable  and  most 
vile  race  of  men,  who,  though  they  cannot  themselves  perform 
one  single  thing  that  deserves  not  to  be  exposed,  yet,  when 
they  find  the  least  imperfection  of  a  hair's  or  straw's  value 


LUTHER  S   DEDICATION.    ;  23 

in  the  productions  of  another,  immediately  consider  them- 
selves worthy  of  being  rewarded  with  all  the  triumphs  of 
Pompey.  I  know  it  to  be  the  most  impudent  height  of  teme- 
rity for  any  one  boldly  to  profess,  that  he  understands  any 
one  book  of  the  Scriptures  fully  in  all  its  parts.  Nay,  who 
will  presume  to  maintain  that  he  understands  fully  and  per- 
fectly any  one  single  Psalm?  Our  life  is  only  a  beginning 
and  a  going  on,  and  not  a  consummation.  He  rises  the  highest, 
who  comes  the  nearest  to  the  Holy  Spirit.  HI  can  touch  the 
moon  I  am  not  immediately  to  imagine  that  I  have  touched 
the  sun  also;  nor  am  I  to  look  with  disdain  upon  the  lesser- 
stars.  There  are  degrees  in  living  and  acting,  and  why  not 
in  understanding  also?  2  Cor.  3:18.  The  apostle  says  that 
we  are  "changed  from  glory  to  glory."  And,  to  open  my 
design  plainly,  I  write  only  for  the  service  of  those,  who  know 
not  these  things,  but  wish  to  know  them :  and  therefore,  it  will 
be  at  least  a  satisfaction  to  me  to  reflect  that  I  have  hereby  en- 
gaged myself  and  my  hearers  in  a  better  employment  of  mind, 
than  if  I  had  been  adding  new  clouds  of  darkness,  and  fresh 
toads  and  flies  of  corruption,  to  the  books  of  human  opinions. 

This  book  of  Psalms  is,  in  my  opinion,  of  a  different  nature 
from  all  the  other  books.  For  in  the  other  books  we  are  taught 
what  we  ought  to  do,  both  by  precept  and  example.  But  this 
book  not  only  teaches  us,  but  shows  us  in  what  way  and  man- 
ner we  may  do  the  Word  and  imitate  the  examples  it  contains. 
For  it  is  not  in  our  power  or  strength  to  fulfill  the  law  of  God, 
or  to  imitate  Christ :  all  we  can  do,  is  to  desire  and  pray  that 
we  might  be  able  to  do  the  Word,  and  imitate  Christ's  example; 
and,  when  we  have  gained  some  power  so  to  do,  to  praise,  and 
give  thanks  unto  God.  What  else  then  is  the  Psalter  but 
praying  to,  and  praising  God?  that  is,  a  book  of  hymns? 

Therefore,  the  most  gracious  and  blessed  Spirit  of  God, 
the  Father  of  his  humble  scholars,  and  the  teacher  of  infants, 
well  knowing  that  "we  know  not  how  to  pray  as  we  ought," 
as  Paul  saith  in  Rom.  8  :26,  in  order  to  help  our  infirmities, 


24  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

like  schoolmasters  who  compose  letters  or  subjects  for  their 
pupils  to  write  home  to  their  parents,  has  prepared  for  us  in 
this  book  words  and  sentiments  with  which  we  may  converse 
with  our  heavenly  Father,  and  pray  unto  him  concerning  those 
things  which  he  has  taught  us  in  the  other  books  are  to  be  done 
and  imitated ;  that  man  may  not  want  any  thing  that  is  neces- 
sary unto  his  eternal  salvation.  So  great  are  the  care  of  God 
over  us  and  his  kindness  to  us !  Who  is  blessed  for  ever. 
And  in  him  may  your  most  gracious  Highness  live  and  prosper 
now  and  for  evermore !  Amen  ! 
Wittenberg,   March  2.'],   15 19. 


COMMENTARY. 

ON    THE 

FIRST    TWENTY-TWO    PSALMS. 


P  S  A  L  M    I. 

V.  I.  Blessed  is  the  man  that  ivalketh  not  in  the  coun- 
sel of  the  zvicked  (ungodly)  nor  standeth  in  the  zvay  of 
sinners,  nor  sittcth  in  the  seat  of  scoffers  (pestilence). 

There  is  a  common  inquiry  among  men  concerning  blessed- 
ness :  and  there  is  no  one  who  does  not  wish  that  it  may  be 
well  with  him,  and  does  not  dread  the  thought  that  it  should 
be  ill  with  him.  And  yet  all  who  have  ever  thus  inquired  have 
wandered  from  the  knowledge  of  true  blessedness  and  they 
have  wandered  the  most  widely  who  have  inquired  with  the 
greatest  diligence,  such  as  the  philosophers,  the  greatest  of 
whom  have  placed  true  blessedness  in  virtue,  or  in  the  works 
of  virtue ;  whereby,  having  rendered  themselves  more  unhappy 
than  the  rest,  they  have  deprived  themselves  of  the  blessings 
both  of  this  life  and  of  that  which  is  to  come.  Whereas,  the 
common  people,  though  their  ideas  were  the  more  grossly  mad, 
by  making  blessedness  to  consist  in  carnal  pleasure,  enjoyed  at 
least  the  good  of  this  life. 

This  teacher,  however,  deriving  his  doctrine  from  heaven, 
and  detesting  all  the  devoted  endeavors  of  men,  gives  this  only 
true  definition  of  blessedness  which  is  wholly  unknown  to  men 
—  that  he  is  the  "blessed"  man  who  loves  the  law  of  God. 
It  is,  indeed,  a  short  definition,  but  it  contains  a  savour  that 
is  contrary  to  all  human  ideas,  and  especially  to  human  wis- 


26  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

dom.  First  of  all  let  us  consider  the  grammatical  significa- 
tion of  this  passage,  with  respect  to  the  Theology  contained 
in  it. 

In  the  Hebrew,  the  word  "blessed'4s  a  plural  noun,  ashre, 
bUsscdiicsscs  —  that  is,  all  blessedness  are  the  portion  of  that 
man  who  has  not  gone  away,  etc.  As  though  it  were  said, 
'all  things  are  well  with  that  man  who,  etc.  Why  do  you  hold 
any  dispute?  Why  draw  vain  conclusions?  If  a  man  has 
found  that  pearl  of  great  price,  to  love  the  law  of  God  and  to 
separate  from  the  ungodly,  all  blessednesses  belong  to  that  man, 
but  if  he  has  not  found  this  jev^^el,  he  will  seek  for  all  blessed- 
nesses, but  will  never  find  one.  For  as  all  things  are  pure  unto 
the  pure,  so  all  things  are  lovely  unto  the  loving,  all  things 
good  unto  the  good ;  and,  universally,  such  as  thou  art  thy- 
self, such  is  God  himself  unto  thee,  though  he  is  not  a  crea- 
ture. He  is  perverse  unto  the  perverse,  and  holy  unto  the 
holy.  Hence  nothing  can  be  good  or  saving  unto  him  who  is 
evil ;  nothing  sweet  unto  him  to  whom  the  law  of  God  is  not 
sweet. 

It  is  well  known  that  "to  walk,"  and  'to  go,'  in  the  scrip- 
ture mode  of  expression  are  used  figuratively,  and  are  of  the 
same  signification,  as  to  have  life  and  conversation.  As  in 
Ps.  15:2,  "He  that  walketh  uprightly."  And  Ps.  101:6,  "He 
that  walketh  in  a  perfect  way  he  shall  serve  me."  And  again, 
Rom.  8:1,  "There  is  no  condemnation  to  them  vAio  walk  not 
after  the  flesh." 

The  word  "counsel"  is  without  doubt  here  to  be  received 
as  signifying  decrees  and  doctrines,  seeing  that,  no  society  of 
men  exists  without  being  formed  and  preserved  by  decrees  and 
laws.  David,  however,  by  this  term  strikes  at  the  pride  and 
reprobate  temerity  of  the  ungodly.  First,  because  they  will 
not  humble  themselves  so  as  to  walk  in  the  law  of  the  Lord, 
but  rule  themselves  by  their  ov/n  counsel.  And  then,  he  calls 
it  their  "counsel,"  because  it  is  their  prudence,  and  the  way 
that  seems  to  them  to  be  without  error.     For  this  is  the  de- 


PSALM   I.  2^ 

struction  of  the  ungodly  —  their  being  prudent  in  their  own 
eyes  and  in  their  own  esteem,  and  clothing  their  errors  in  the 
garb  of  prudence  and  of  the  right  way.  For,  if  they  came  to 
men  in  the  open  garb  of  error,  it  would  not  be  so  distinguishing 
a  mark  of  blessedness  not  to  walk  with  them.  But  David  does 
not  here  say  'in  the  folly  of  the  ungodly'  or  'in  the  error  of 
the  ungodly.'  And,  therefore,  he  admonishes  us  to  guard  with 
all  diligence  against  the  appearance  of  what  is  right,  that  the 
devil  transformed  into  an  angel  of  light  may  not  seduce  us 
by  his  craftiness.  And  he  contrasts  the  counsel  of  the  wicked 
with  the  law  of  the  Lord,  that  we  may  learn  to  beware  of 
wolves  in  sheep's  clothing;  who  are  always  ready  to  give 
counsel  to  all,  to  teach  all,  and  to  offer  assistance  unto  all, 
when  they  are  of  all  men  the  least  qualified  so  to  do. 

The  "ungodly"  man,  who  in  the  Hebrew  is  called  rascha, 
is  by  Hilary  most  rightly  defined  to  be  'he  who  thinks  evilly 
concerning  God.'  For  ungodliness  is  properly  the  sin  of  un- 
belief, and  is  committed  in  the  heart.  But  the  term  has  been 
variously  translated,  and  differently  at  different  times.  Do 
thou,  therefore,  always  understand  these  two  to  be  contrary 
the  one  to  the  other,  —  faith  in  God  and  ungodliness ;  as  also, 
the  law  of  God  and  the  counsel  of  men.  For  when  we  speak 
of  godliness  and  ungodliness,  we  do  not  speak  of  actions  but 
of  thoughts,  that  is,  of  the  fountain-spring  of  actions.  Be- 
cause he  who  is  rightly  taught  concerning  God,  cannot  but 
dc  what  is  right,  and  lead  a  good  life.  For,  if  the  just  man 
fall  even  seven  times  a  day,  he  shall  rise  again ;  but  the  un- 
godly rush  wholly  into  evil  and  do  not  rise  again.  These, 
because  they  are  in  a  state  of  unbelief,  do  not  a  single  good 
work,  though  every  thing  that  they  do  may  have  a  fair  ap- 
jcarance,  being  that  shade  that  covers  behemoth.  Job  40:22, 
whereby  they  deceive  themselves  and  draw  in  the  simple. 
Hence,  he  is  godly  who  lives  by  faith,  and  he  who  lives  in  un- 
belief is  ungodly. 

Who  "sinners"  are  we  may  plainly  see,  for  this  is  the  out- 


28  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

ward  man  of  the  ungodly ;  but  the  counsel  and  the  ungodly 
man  that  are  hidden  in  the  heart  we  see  not.  Here  therefore, 
David  is  speaking  of  those  works,  actions,  and  ways  which  ap- 
pear outwardly ;  and  this  he  calls  the  "way,"  because  now, 
the  inward  counsel  is  supposed  to  have  come  forth  into  habit 
and  practice,  as  they  say,  and  because  the  ungodly  here  com- 
mit outwardly  the  evil  which  they  imagined  inwardly.  But 
this  "way,"  as  I  have  observed,  is  for  the  most  part  of  a  better 
outward  show  than  that  even  of  the  godly.  For,  as  to  those 
grosser  sinners,  any  one  might  easily  beware  of  them  without 
this  admonition,  or  at  least,  might  know  them. 

The  term  "stood"  describes  their  obstinacy,  stifT-necked- 
ness,  wherein  they  harden  themselves  and  make  their  excuses 
in  words  of  malice,  having  become  incorrigible  in  their  ungod- 
liness, which  they  consider  to  be  godliness.  For,  'to  stand,'  in 
the  figurative  manner  of  scripture  expression,  signifies  to  be 
firm  and  fixed,  as  in  Rom.  14  4.  "To  his  own  master  he 
standeth  or  falleth.  Yea,  he  shall  be  holden  up,  for  God  is  able 
to  make  him  stand,"  Hence,  the  word  'column'  is  by  the 
Hebrews  derived  from  their  verb  to  stand,  as  is  the  word 
'statue'  among  the  Latins.  For  this  is  the  very  self-excuse 
and  self-hardening  of  the  ungodly  —  their  appearing  to  them- 
selves to  live  rightly  and  to  shine  in  the  external  show  of 
works  above  all  others. 

With  respect  to  the  term  "seat,"  —  to  sit  in  the  seat  means 
to  teach,  to  act  the  part  of  an  intsructor  and  teacher,  as  in 
Matt.  23  :2.  "The  scribes  sit  in  Moses'  chair."  So,  to  sit  on 
a  throne  is  to  reign  or  act  as  king  as  we  frequently  find  it 
expressed  in  the  Books  of  Kings.  So  also,  to  sit  on  a  chair 
of  state,  signifies  to  act  as  ruler,  and  to  sit  on  a  tribunal,  to 
act  as  a  judge. 

In  respect  to  "pestilence,"  —  though  the  translation  is  not 
literal,  yet  it  is  very  forcible.  The  word  in  the  Hebrew  is  'of 
the  mockers,'  or  'of  tlie  scornful.'  But  the  scornful  arc  they 
at  whom  he  strikes  in  the  Ps.  under  the  terms  'deceitful,'  and 


PSALM    I.  29 

'false  tongues;'  as  being  those  who  under  a  show  of  sound 
doctrine  diffuse  the  poison  of  erroneous  doctrine.  For  the 
pestilence  in  the  bodies  of  men  is  not  half  so  contagious  as 
that  of  ungodly  doctrine  for  their  souls  ;  "their  word,"  saith  the 
apostle,  2  Tim.  2:17,  "will  eat  as  doth  gangrene."  As  the 
wise  are  called  the  health  of  the  w^orld.  Wis.  6  :26,  so  these  un- 
godly are  rightly  called  the  pestilence  of  the  world.  And 
what  mockery  can  be  more  pestilential,  than  to  administer 
deadly  poison  unto  souls  that  are  thirsting  after  the  purity 
of  the  truth  ? 

The  Psalmist,  therefore,  according  to  that  usual  manner 
adopted  throughout  the  church  of  distinguishing  the  good  life 
from  the  evil  by  faith  and  walk,  the  former  distinguishing  the 
godly  from  the  ungodly,  the  latter  saints  from  sinners,  here 
describes  these  two  states,  and  to  them  adds  a  third.  For, 
after  ungodliness  has  infected  a  man  inwardly  in  his  thoughts, 
and  outwardly  in  his  life,  it  would  not  be  able  to  go  farther,  did 
it  not  rush  forth  and  draw  others  along  with  it  into  the  same 
perdition.  And  therefore,  ungodliness  is  not  contented  with 
being  wicked  in  thought  and  wicked  in  life,  unless  it  teach 
others  ungodliness  also.  —  So  far,  concerning  the  grammatical 
part. 

It  is  also  especially  to  be  observed  in  scripture  —  how 
wisely  it  omits  to  mention  the  names  of  sects  and  persons. 
For  this  Ps.  without  doubt  strikes  first  at  the  people  of  the 
Jews;  as  the  apostle  saith,  Rom.  i  :i6,  "to  the  Jew  first  and 
also  to  the  Greek."  And  Rom.  3  riQ.  "We  know  that  v/hat 
things  soever  the  law  saith,  it  saith  to  them  who  are  under  the 
law."  Yet  the  Psalmist  does  not  say,  'blessed  is  the  Jew,'  or 
'blessed  is  that  certain  person' :  nor  does  he  say,  'in  the  counsel 
of  the  Gentiles,  or  of  these  or  those  certain  persons' ;  but  in 
general  or  absolutely,  "blessed  is  the  man ;"  and,  "the  counsel 
of  the  ungodly ;"  and,  "in  the  way  of  sinners ;"  and  also,  "in 
the  seat  of  the  scornful ;"  whoever  they  may  be,  for  there  is 
no  respect  of  persons  with  God. 


30  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

And  this  was  highly  necessary  to  be  done,  in  order  that 
the  Word  of  God,  as  it  is  eternal,  should  apply  to  all  ages 
of  mankind.  For  although  manners,  persons,  places,  and 
customs,  may  vary  in  different  times,  yet  both  godliness  and 
ungodliness  are  the  same  in  all  ages.  Hence  we  see,  that 
the  prophets  used  the  same  scriptures  against  the  false  prophets, 
the  apostles  against  the  false  apostles,  and  the  true  teachers 
against  heretics,  though  they  found  not  in  those  scriptures 
the  names  of  the  prophets,  or  the  apostles,  or  the  teachers, 
or  their  adversaries,  but  only  the  godly  and  the  ungodly. 

Moreover,  if  any  particular  person  were  mentioned,  then 
the  rest  would  not  believe  that  the  evil  which  was  spoken  of 
belonged  to  them ;  or,  that  the  good  which  was  spoken  of 
belonged  to  them  only.  Even  as  the  Jews  apply  to  themselves, 
all  the  good  that  was  spoken  to  the  seed  of  Abraham  and 
to  Israel.  At  whom,  first,  this  Psalm  undoubtedly  strikes,  as 
1  before  observed.  Hence  we  also,  after  the  example  of  the 
holy  fathers,  apply  this  Ps.  to  the  generation  in  which  we 
live ;  or  rather,  we  follow  it  while  it  leads  us  thereunto,  seeing 
that  it  goes  before  us  arraigning  all  the  ungodly,  and  is  rather 
found  of  us  already  doing  this,  than  forced  by  us  to  do  it. 

Therefore,  saith  the  Psalmist,  "blessed  is  the  man  that  hath 
not  walked ;"  that  is,  while  there  are  so  many  millions  of 
the  ungodly  around  us,  that  you  may  well  say  with  Ps.  12:1, 
"help.  Lord,  for  the  godly  man  ceaseth,  for  the  faithful  fail 
from  among  the  children  of  men."  And  as  Micah  7  :2  also 
saith,  "the  good  man  is  perished  out  of  the  earth,  and  there 
is  none  upright  among  men."  And  is  he  not  a  blessed  man, 
and  a  man  truly  strong  in  the  faith,  Vv^ho,  in  the  midst  of  so 
great  a  multitude,  does  not  walk  in  the  broad  way?  who, 
moreover,  suffers  from  the  same,  reproaches  and  many  evils, 
and  yet,  does  not  so  consent  unto  them  as  to  walk  with  them  ? 
and  who  is  not  deceived  by  the  most  specious  counsel  of  the  un- 
godly, which  might  deceive  the  very  elect  ? 

It  is  a  great  thing  not  to  be  overcome  by  riches,  pleasures. 


PSALM    I.  31 

and  honours :  but,  to  overcome  the  specious  righteousness  and 
wisdom  of  the  ungodly,  which  direct  their  attack  most  of  all 
against  pure  faith,  is  the  greatest  of  all  victories ! 

But  you  are  to  notice  that  these  words  are  the  words  of 
faith,  and  that  they  do  not  speak  of  men  according  to  what 
they  appear  to  be.  For,  as  I  have  already  observed,  no  one 
would  imagine  such  to  be  the  ungodly.  The  prophet  speaks 
in  the  spirit ;  and,  spiritually,  that  is  ungodly  which  the  world 
considers  to  be  the  most  godly,  because  it  is  devoid  of  faith, 
as  it  is  written  in  Eccles.  8:10  'I  saw  the  wicked  buried,  who, 
while  they  lived,  had  come  and  gone  from  the  place  of  the 
holy,  and  were  praised  in  the  city  as  the  doers  of  righteous 
works.'  And  again,  Ps.  37  135.  'I  have  seen  the  wicked  exalted 
as  a  cedar  in  Lebanon.'  These  are  awful  things.  Who  could 
have  thought  to  find  ungodliness  here,  and  that  so  deep? 

But  listen !  This  Psalm  does  not  only  strike  at  the  ungodly 
and  sinners  for  every  man  out  of  Christ  is  an  ungodly  man 
and  a  sinner,  but  chiefly  at  those  who  are  twofold  sinners,  — 
who,  though  they  are  ungodly,  do  not  acknowledge  it,  but 
all  the  while  form  to  themselves  a  "counsel"  to  walk  therein, 
and  to  follow  after  ungodliness.  For  David  does  not  say, 
blessed  is  the  man  who  does  not  walk  an  ungodly  man,  or, 
who  does  not  stand  a  sinner ;  but  "in  the  counsel  of  the  un- 
godly," and  "in  the  way  of  sinners,"  for  such  are  not  contented 
with  being  ungodly,  but  wish  to  be  accounted  righteous  and 
saints ;  thus  adding  to  their  ungodliness  the  outside  show 
of  godliness. 

And  at  whom,  think  ye,  does  he  strike  in  this  our  day? 
I  will  not  dare  to  mention  by  name  any  particular  persons,  lest 
I  should  split  upon  the  implacable  rock  of  some  religious  ones, 
priests  or  bishops.  For  such  has  ever  been  the  nature  of  un- 
godly men,  that  they  will  not  endure  the  Word  of  God,  but 
will  fill  the  world  with  martyrs ;  and  for  no  other  reason,  than 
that  they  imagine  that  they  thereby  yield  obedience  unto  God ; 
and  thus,  while  they  seem  to  contend  for  godliness,  thev  are 


32  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

all  the  while  most  bitterly  accusing  the  truly  godly  of  ungod- 
liness. 

But  know  thou,  and  be  well  assured,  that  those  are  here 
pointed  out,  who  shine  in  ceremonies,  rites,  and  other  pompous 
shows  of  godliness,  and  who  measure  their  godliness  by  their 
garments,  meats,  times,  and  places,  or,  more  especially,  by 
their  work  and  prayers;  and  more  particularly,  those  who,  on 
account  of  their  observances,  privileges,  dignities,  powers,  and 
rights,  divide  themselves  into  implacable  discords,  and  are 
ready  to  do  and  suffer  any  thing  rather  than  humble  them- 
selves and  yield  to  each  other  in  mutual  charity.  And  that 
tliese  are  the  ungodly  pointed  at,  you  may  conclude  from  this. 
Such  are  secure  and  confident  in  their  lives,  and  there  is  no 
fear  of  God  before  their  eyes. 

And  take  this  for  a  universal  and  infallible  criterion,  and 
as  they  say,  for  a  certain  touchstone,  that  the  peculiar  marks 
of  the  ungodly  are,  not  to  fear  God,  to  be  secure  of  his  mercy, 
and  to  presume  in  all  things !  But  on  the  contrary,  of  the 
godly,  like  Job,  to  be  afraid  of  all  their  works,  to  have  no  trust 
in  their  own  righteousness,  and  to  account  all  their  holiness 
as  dung!  And  therefore,  the  latter  cannot  contend  for  these 
things,  nor  justify  nor  vindicate  themselves,  but  consider  them- 
selves deserving  the  hatred  and  vengeance  of  all.  Hence,  as 
I  said,  we  must  have  the  eyes  and  ears  of  faith  to  hear  these 
words  of  the  Spirit  and  to  understand  their  meaning,  for  man 
of  himself  cannot  understand  them. 

Think  not,  however,  that  I  condemn  all  holy  ceremonies 
and  good  works.  It  is  the  false  opinion,  confidence,  and  de- 
votedness  that  I  call  the  pestilences ;  for  it  is  through  these 
thmgs,  as  we  see,  that  men  rush  forth  into  sects,  strifes,  back- 
bitings,  and  infinite  enormities  of  sin ;  all  which  by  the  veil 
of  their  counsel,  and  the  show  of  their  doctrines,  they  cover 
over  with  the  name  of  godliness ;  whereas,  if  all  their  works 
were  done  in  humility,  they  would  certainly  be  good. 


PSALM    I.  33 

Nor  standeth  in  the  way  of  sinners. 

After  they  have  violated  faith  by  ungodHness,  what  can 
remain  but  that  their  works  are  evil,  and  sins  ?  But  now  thou 
wilt  say,  can  the  works  of  Jews,  of  heretics,  and  of  the  proud, 
be  evil,  when  they  fast,  pray,  do  good,  and  accomplish  all 
those  things  which  no  man  dares  to  call  evil?  I  have  said 
that  faith  is  wanting !  Therefore,  all  those  works  are  so  much 
the  worse,  because  they  confirm  their  ungodliness,  and  cause 
them  to  stand  and  persevere  in  their  way  of  sin ;  and  they  are 
sins,  because  they  proceed  from  the  ungodliness  of  their  hearts. 
And,  as  saith  the  wise  man.  Sir.  34:4.  'what  truth  will  be 
spoken  by  a  liar,  or  what  godliness  will  be  done  by  the  un- 
godly?' 

Christ  however  has  given  us  excellent  instruction  on  these 
points,  when  he  taught  us,  that  men  are  to  be  known  by  their 
fruits.  And  they  have  two  sorts  of  works :  some  which  he 
calls  sheep's  clothing,  which  are  not  their  proper  fruits,  but 
feigned  according  to  their  counsel  and  ways.  But,  when  you 
touch  them  and  oppose  them,  then,  behold,  their  proper  fruits 
burst  forth  —  wrath,  clamour,  pride,  backbiting,  evil-speaking, 
self-excusing,  envy,  blasphemy,  and  the  like  enormities  —  nor 
can  you  ever  gather  other  fruits  from  these  thorns,  than  these 
very  sharp  thorns.  And  such,  as  you  may  see,  are  our  cere- 
monial work-mongers. 

Nor  sifteth  in  the  seat  of  pestilence  (scoffers). 

Yet  this  the  Jews  do,  departing  from  Christ.  Under  their 
lips  is  the  incurable  poison  of  asps,  Ps.  140:4,  and  their  wine 
is  the  gall  of  dragons,  Deut.  32  133,  for  they  must  of  necessity 
teach  contrary  to  Christ.  These  other  heretics  follow,  under 
another  name  and  person  indeed,  but  with  the  same  pestilence 
of  ungodliness. 

And,  to  come  to  our  own  times,  they  sit  in  the  seat  of 
pestilence,  who  fill  the  church  with  the  opinions  of  philosophers, 
with  the  traditions  of  men,  and   with   the  counsels   of  their 

3a 


34  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

own  brain,  and  oppress  miserable  consciences,  setting  aside, 
all  tbe  while,  the  Word  of  God,  by  which  alone  the  soul  is 
fed,  lives,  and  is  preserved.  Whence  it  comes  to  pass  that 
men  are  ignorant  of  every  other  righteousness  but  that  which 
is  obtained  by  works ;  whereas  this  is  ungodliness  and  sin 
in  the  sight  of  God.  For  it  is  impossible  that  you  can  teach 
the  work  of  any  laws  whatever  without  peril,  unless,  by  the 
better  doctrine  and  the  better  labor,  you  first  teach  in  Christ. 
In  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans  Paul  sets  forth  faith  as  the 
foundation  in  eleven  chapters  and  then  in  five  chapters  the  life 
springing  from  it.  In  five  chapters  of  Galatians  he  teaches 
faith;  and  in  one  chapter,  the  sixth,  life.  He  does  the  same 
in  his  other  Epistles.    Christ  in  the  Gospel  requires  faith  only. 

V.  2.  But  his  delight  (zvill)  is  in  the  lazv  of  Jehovah  {the 
Lord),  and  on  his  law  doth  he  meditate  day  and  night. 

The  grammatical  and  theological  exposition  of  this  passage : 

See  that  thou  distinguish,  to  tell  thee  once  for  all,  the  "law 
of  the  Lord"  as  widely  and  as  differently  as  possible  from  all 
laws  of  men,  and  take  heed  with  all  diligence,  that  by  con- 
fusing all  in  one  chaos,  as  the  teachers  of  pestilence  do,  they 
do  not  miserably  destroy  thee ;  while  they  attempt  to  make  the 
traditions  of  men  the  law  of  God,  and  the  law  of  God  the 
traditions  of  men. 

Let  me  give  thee  examples  of  this.  The  law  of  God  is, 
"honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother."  Out  of  this  law  the 
pharisees  have  made  this  tradition :  'The  gift  which  is  brought 
to  the  alter  is  better  than  that  which  is  given  to  the  parents;' 
as  you  read  Matt.  15:4.  Again:  despising  God  in  the  true 
commandment,  they  honor  him  according  to  another  com- 
mandment of  their  own  law,  thus  establishing  a  law  for  God. 
For  the  elders  had  said,  'wash  thine  hands  when  thou  eatest :' 
and  not  to  hear  the  elders  is  the  same  as  not  hearing  God. 
Therefore  saith  Christ  in  the  same  chapter,  Matth.  15:7-9, 
"Ye  hypocrites,  v/cll  did  Isaiah  prophesy  of  you,  saying,  this 
people  honoreth  me  with  their  lips,  but  their  heart  is  far  from 


PSALM    I.  35 

me.  But  in  vain  do  they  worship  me,  teaching  as  their  doc- 
trines the  precepts  of  men." 

Thus  at  this  day  matters  are  come  to  such  a  pass,  that  they 
boldly  affirm,  that  the  voice  of  the  Popes  and  of  the  Roman 
council  alone  are  to  be  heard  with  fear  and  trembling.  When 
all  the  commands  of  God  are  at  the  same  time  laughed  at,  yea 
held  in  contempt;  and  not  more  so  by  any  set  of  men  than 
by  those  very  characters  who  boast  of  the  to-be-feared  voice 
of  their  great  council.  In  a  word,  they  have  carried  these  most 
impious  superstitions  to  the  extreme,  that  mass-priests  are 
everywhere  to  be  found,  who  imagine  that  they  have  sinned 
the  sin  unto  death  if  they  have  celebrated  mass  without  their 
stole  or  maniple,  or  any  external  that  is  attended  to.  Or,  if 
they  have  made  any  like  mistake  or  omission  in  the  canonical 
form  of  celebrating  mass,  it  is  considered  a  most  awful  sin. 
But  I  am  ashamed  to  proceed  any  farther  in  the  enumeration 
of  those  ridiculous  trifles  with  which  the  mass-priests  and 
other  religious  ones  of  the  same  kind  terrify  their  consciences. 
Whereas,  all  the  while,  if  they  have  been  living  together  in  the 
sins  of  lust,  wrath,  envy,  covetousness,  and  pride,  and  that 
for  many  years,  and  have  despised  God,  they  feel  nothing 
of  it  whatever. 

The  term  "will"  here,  does  not  imply  any  power  in  man, 
nor  does  it  signify  that  inert  habit  which  our  modern  theolo- 
gians have  dragged  into  their  divinity  out  of  Aristotle,  to  the 
subversion  of  a  man's  true  understanding  of  the  scriptures, 
nor,  again,  does  it  signify  that  act  which  they  say  is  allured 
fortJi  out  of  that  pozver  or  habit.  No  human  being  under 
heaven  has  such  a  "will"  as  is  here  signified :  it  must  be  given 
him  from  above.  For  since  the  nature  of  man  is  intent  on, 
and  prone  to  evil,  as  the  divine  authority  asserts,  Gen.6  :5  ;8;2i, 
and  since  the  law  of  God  is  "holy,  righteous,  and  good,"  Rom. 
7:12;  it  follows,  that  the  will  of  man  is  against  the  law,  hates 
the  law,  and  flees  from  the  law.  And  even  if  at  any  time  from 
the  fear  of  punishment,  or  from  a  want  to  get  at  what  is 


36  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

promised,  it  pretends  a  love  for  the  law,  yet,  the  natural  hatred 
of  the  law  still  remains  within;  nor  can  such  a  will  love  the 
law  freely,  for  it  does  not  love  it  because  it  is  good,  but  be- 
cause it  seems  to  promise  some  advantage. 

The  "will,"  therefore,  here  signified,  is  that  delight  of 
heart,  and  that  certain  pleasure  in  the  law,  which  does  not 
look  at  what  the  law  promises,  nor  at  what  it  threatens,  but 
at  this  only,  that  "  the  law  is  holy,  righteous  and  good."  Hence 
it  is  not  only  a  love  of  the  law,  but  that  loving  delight  in  the 
law,  vv^hich  no  prosperity  nor  adversity,  nor  the  world,  nor 
the  prince  of  it,  can  either  take  away  or  destroy ;  for  it  vic- 
toriously bursts  its  way  through  poverty,  evil  report,  the  cross, 
death,  and  hell,  and,  in  the  midst  of  adversities,  shines  the 
brightest. 

And  this  'Svill"  springs  from  faith  in  God  through  Jesus 
Christ.  Whereas,  that  will  vv^hich  is  extorted  by  the  fear  of 
punishment,  is  servile  and  violently  forced;  and  that  which  is 
drawn  forth  by  a  desire  after  the  reward,  is  mercenary  and 
feigned.  But  this  is  a  free,  spontaneous,  and  happy  will.  And 
hence  it  is  that  the  people  of  Christ  are  called  in  the  Hebrew 
NEDABOTH,  that  is,  'spontaneous,  voluntary,  and  free.'  Ps. 
110:3. 

From  the  above  it  is  manifest  that  this  Psalm  is  to  be 
understood  of  Christ  only.  He  is  the  mark  and  the  goal  to 
which  the  man  that  is  "blessed"  is  to  direct  all  his  aims,  for 
there  is  no  one  in  this  life  who  does  not  want  something  of 
t-his  "will,"  on  account  of  the  law  and  will  in  his  members, 
which  are  contrary  to  it ;  as  the  apostle  saith,  Rom.  7 :23,  which 
latter  will,  according  to  true  theology,  is  to  be  crucified,  but 
which,  according  to  philosophy,  is  to  be  accounted  a  virtue. 

To  "meditate,"  as  it  is  generally  understood,  signifies  to 
discuss,  to  dispute,  and  to  exercise  in  words,  as  in  Ps.  37 :30, 
"the  mouth  of  the  righteous  shall  meditate  wisdom."  Hence 
Augustine,  in  his  translation,  has  "chatter,'  a  beautiful  meta- 
phor, as  chattering  is  the  employment  of  birds,  so  a  continual 


P?A.LM    I.  37 

conversing  in  the  law  of  the  Lord,  since  talking  is  peculiar  to 
man,  ought  to  be  the  employment  of  man.  But  I  cannot 
worthily  and  fully  set  forth  the  gracious  meaning  and  force 
of  this  word,  for  this  'meditating'  consists  first  in  an  intent 
observing  of  the  words  of  the  law,  and  then  in  a  comparing 
of  the  different  scriptures,  which  is  a  certain  delightful  hunt- 
ing, nay,  rather  a  playing  with  stags  in  a  forest  or  mountains, 
where  the  Lord  furnishes  us  with  the  stags  and  opens  to 
us  their  secret  coverts,  Ps.  29:6.  And  from  this  kind  of 
employment  there  comes  forth  at  length  a  man  well  instructed 
in  the  law  of  the  Lord  to  speak  unto  the  people. 

For  instance,  "Thou  shalt  not  kill,"  if  you  pass  it  over  in 
a  cursory  manner,  is  a  frigid  sentence,  by  which,  according  to 
the  sound  of  letters,  you  merely  understand  that  the  act  of 
murder  is  prohibited.  But  stop  and  meditate  a  little.  It 
is  not  said,  thy  hand  shall  not  kill,  but  thou  shalt  not  kill.  And 
what  art  thou?  Soul  and  body,  and  thou  hast  many  members 
and  faculties  in  each,  hand,  eyes,  tongue,  mind,  will,  etc. 
When  ,  therefore,  thou  art  forbidden  to  kill,  art  thou  not  there- 
by forbidden  to  kill  with  thy  hand,  or  thy  tongue,  or  thy  will  ? 
for  whichever  of  these  shall  kill,  it  is  Thou  that  killest.  There- 
fore, we  are  not  to  be  angry,  we  are  not  to  wish  evil,  we  are 
not  to  speak  evil,  we  are  not  to  calumniate,  we  are  not  to 
turn  away  our  face,  we  are  not  to  despise,  we  are  not  to  injure, 
we  are  not  to  wish  to  injure;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  we  are 
to  love,  to  bless,  to  do  good.  What  then  is  the  purport  of  this 
scripture.  Thou  shalt  not  kill  ?  Why  this,  that  thou  art  not 
to  be  bitter  and  angry  with,  but  kind  and  gentle  to,  thy  neighbor. 
Therefore,  look  into  what  the  scriptures  teach  concerning  love, 
kindness,  suavity,  benevolence,  goodness,  and  tenderness ;  and 
when  thou  hast  collected  and  compared  them  all,  hast  thou  not 
then  well  chattered  and  meditated  in  tlie  law  of  thy  Lord? 

With  respect  to  "day  and  night,"  whether  you  understand 
them  literally  or  figuratively  for  assiduosly,  or  allegorically 
for  the  time  of  adversity  and  prosperity,  it  matters  not  at  all ; 


38  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

for  the  righteous  man,  even  when  sleeping,  loves  and  thinks 
upon  the  law  of  the  Lord. 

The  Psalmist  saith  then  of  this  man  that  is  "blessed,"  that 
his  "will"'  will  be  in  the  law  of  the  Lord.  He  will  neither  look 
at,  nor  love,  nor  hate  any  created  thing  whatever,  either  good 
or  evil,  but  will,  by  this  "  will,"  be  entirely  raised  above  all 
things  that  are  created.  What  wonder  therefore  is  it,  that  such 
a  man  should  be  blessed,  who,  being  endowed  with  this  heaven- 
ly will,  has  no  taste  whatever  for  those  things  by  which  the 
ignorant  judges  of  blessedness  are  dashed  to  and  fro. 

Moreover,  as  such  an  one  is  by  this  his  will  now  made 
one  with  the  Word  of  God  for  love  always  unites  the  lover 
and  the  object  loved,  he  must  of  necessity  taste  how  good, 
sweet,  and  pure  the  holy  and  wonderful  Word  of  God  is,  that 
it  is  the  greatest  of  all  good !  But  this  they  cannot  taste,  who 
have  their  hand  or  their  tongue  only  in  the  law,  while  their 
will  is  immersed  in  the  filth  of  the  things  of  this  world. 

For  there  are  many  prating  ones  v/ho  talk  much  about  the 
law  of  the  Lord,  and  pretend  much  about  it,  but  who  do  not  yet 
love  it.  It  does  not  read,  blessed  is  the  man  whose  tongue 
is  in  the  law  of  the  Lord,  nor  whose  hand,  nor  whose  mind 
and  speculations  are  in  it;  for  by  these  things  men  are  only 
puffed  up,  and  bless  themselves,  as  if  they  were  already  saints 
and  saved. 

Moreover,  this  "will"  comprehends  the  whole  life  of  man. 
For  if  the  man  has  his  will,  which  is  the  fountain-spring  of 
his  life,  and  his  head,  in  the  law,  there  is  no  fear  that  he  will 
keep  any  other  member  out  of  it.  For  wherever  love  leads, 
the  whole  heart  and  body  follow  it  And  herein  observe  the 
different  conversation  of  the  godly  and  the  ungodly  —  The 
ungodly  begin  their  righteousness  from  without,  and  then  go 
on  to  that  which  is  within  They  first  feign  works  and  then 
words,  and  then  they  go  on  to  the  exercising  of  thoughts ;  and 
this  is  the  greatest  height  to  which  they  attain  And  here, 
they  begin  to  be  teachers  of  others,  and  whatever  they  think. 


PSALM    I.  39 

say,  or  do,  they  will  have  to  be  holy  and  divine ;  yet,  after  all, 
they  never  attain  unto  this  secret  "will."  But  the  godly  begin 
within  from  this  holy  "will,"  then  follows  "meditation,"  and 
then  the  external  work,  and  afterwards,  the  teaching  of  others, 
as  we  shall  see  hereafter. 

And  in  his  lazv  doth  he  meditate  day  and  night. 

Meditation  is  not  without  damnation,  unless  there  be  first 
the  "will ;"  but  love  of  itself  leads  to  meditation.  This  "will"  is 
to  be  sought  by  us  from  heaven,  as  I  have  said,  by  humble  faith 
in  Christ,  when  we  are  brought  to  despair  of  all  strength  in 
ourselves.  And  mark  this  well.  It  is  the  manner  and  nature 
of  all  lovers  to  talk  freely,  to  sing,  to  write,  to  compose,  and 
to  amuse  their  thoughts,  on  their  loves,  and  to  hear  the  same 
things.  And  so  also  this  lover,  this  n^an  that  is  "blessed,"  has 
his  love,  the  law  of  the  Lord,  always  in  his  mouth,  always 
in  his  heart,  and  always,  if  he  can,  in  his  ear.  For  "he  that 
is  of  God  heareth  God's  words,"  John  8  47.  "Thy  statutes 
have  been  my  songs  in  the  house  of  my  pilgrimage,"  Ps.  1 19  :54. 
And  again,  "I  will  meditate  always  in  thy  statutes,"  ver.  16. 

And  thinkest  thou  that  they  are  blessed  men,  who  turn  over 
swine's  husks,  and  who  talk  day  and  night  about  natural  things, 
about  the  opinions  of  men,  about  prebendaries,  dignities,  and 
the  power  and  privileges  of  churches,  and  a  thousand  other 
vanities  of  the  same  kind  ?  No !  They  are  far  more  miserable 
than  those  who  talk  about  the  loves  of  maidens  and  the  fables 
of  the  poets.  For  the  latter  know  that  they  are  acting  foolish- 
ly, and  can  sometime  repent  of  what  they  have  done.  But 
the  former,  thinking  that  they  are  all  the  while  acting  wisely 
and  holily,  die  in  their  ungodliness ;  and  too  late  to  repent, 
that  the  laws  which  they  have  made  have  only  heaped  destruc- 
tion and  ungodliness  on  their  own  heads,  because  they  medi- 
tated not  on  the  law  of  the  Lord. 

V.  3.  And  he  shall  he  like  a  tree  (zvood)  planted  by  the 
streams  of  ivater,  that  bringeth  forth  (giz'eth)  its  fruit  in  its 
season. 


40  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

I  have  said  that  the  blessedness  of  this  man  is  hidden  in 
the  Spirit,  in  God;  so  that  it  cannot  be  known  by  faith  and 
experience.  And  that  this  is  true  thou  shalt  clearly  see.  If 
thou  look  at  his  "will,"  in  which  alone  his  blessedness  consists, 
it  does  not  stand  in  his  riches,  nor  in  his  honors,  nor  in  his 
righteousnesses  and  virtues,  nor,  in  a  word,  in  any  good  that 
can  be  mentioned  excepting  this  will  in  the  law  itself  either 
in  or  out  of  the  man.  Nay  rather,  it  is  found  in  the  midst 
of  the  contraries,  in  poverty,  in  contempt,  in  foolishness,  in 
all  the  evils  that  can  be  mentioned  either  within  or  without 
the  man  So  that  the  man  whom  the  prophet  here  calls  "bless- 
ed," is  hated  by  the  whole  world,  and  they  all  judge  him  to  be 
the  most  miserable  of  mortals  And  this  Isaiah  saw  in  Christ, 
the  head  and  pattern  of  all  these  blessed  ones,  and  therefore 
said,  "he  was  despised,  and  rejected  of  men,"  53  :3.  For  the 
world  and  its  prince  cannot  endure  that  man  who  desires  to 
be  blessed  with  this  "will,"  but  despises  all  his  blessedness 
together.  And  therefore  it  is,  that  David,  contemplating  the 
fewness  of  such  men,  breaks  out,  'O !  blessed  is  the  man,  who,' 
etc. 

Having  thus  described  the  "blessed"  man  in  his  own  proper 
definition,  he  goes  on  to  set  forth  the  same  by  a  similitude  no 
Itss  beautiful.  The  definition,  indeed,  was  perfect,  represent- 
ing him  as  free  from  all  evil,  and  filled  with  all  good,  which 
is  what  the  generality  of  men  call  blessedness,  but  their  bless- 
edness stands  in  present  things,  while  this  man's  blessedness 
stands  in  faith.  And  so  also  the  similitude  proves  him  to  be 
free  from  the  same  evil,  and  full  of  the  same  good.  And  since 
this  "blessed"  man  that  is  hidden  in  faith,  could  not  be  set  forth 
to  view  clearly  by  any  farther  definition,  David,  as  it  becomes 
all  definers  to  do,  sets  him  forth  under  the  similitude  of  a 
visible  thing.  And  since  we  know  that  he  is  describing  a 
rigteous  man  under  a  figure,  we  are  not  to  quarrel  about  terms. 

I  however  believe  that  it  is  the  palm-tree  that  is  alluded 
to  in  the  figurative  description,  for  it  is  said  in  another  Psalm, 


PSALM    I.  41 

"the  righteous  shall  flourish  like  the  palm  tree,  he  shall  in- 
crease like  a  cedar  of  Lebanon,"  Ps.  92:12.  And  what  is  there 
briefly  alluded  to,  is  here  more  fully  enlarged  upon.  For  the 
palm  tree  loves  the  rivers  of  water  as  Pliny  says  and  drinks 
treely  all  the  year  round  and  is  always  green  and  brings  forth 
most  sweet  fruits.  And  perhaps  this  similitude  is  taken  from 
those  palms  on  the  Jordan  near  Jericho,  which  were  so  much 
celebrated,  for  Jericho  is  on  that  account  called  the  "city  of 
palms ;"  and  the  Jordan  is  in  many  other  places  in  the  scriptures 
spoken  of  mystically.  Hence  we  have  this  passage,  "A  well  of 
living  waters,  and  flowing  streams  from  Lebanon,"  Song  4:15- 

Here  the  prophet  gives  you  a  rule  for  understanding  the 
allegories  of  trees  and  rivers  which  occur  in  the  scriptures. 
A  tree  signifies  a  man.  The  good  tree  signifies  a  good  man, 
and  the  evil  tree  an  evil  man,  as  Christ  also  teaches  us.  Math. 
7:18.  Though  I  know  that  Augustine,  when  he  was  so  hotly 
pressed  by  the  Pelagians,  that  he  might  not  in  any  way  admit 
that  the  children  of  the  faithful  were  born  holy,  rather  chose 
by  'tree'  not  to  understand  man,  but  the  will  of  man.  And 
this  may  perhaps  be  given  in  his  favour,  that  by  the  tree  here 
the  spiritual  man  is  set  forth,  which  is  indeed  the  will  itself, 
or  the  spirit.  But  I  think  we  may  with  no  less,  if  not  rather 
with  more  propriety,  here  understand  by  "tree"  the  whole  man ; 
by  the  root,  the  will,  and  by  the  branches,  the  members  and 
powers.    But  I  will  not  contend  for  this. 

The  Psalmist  says  it  is  "planted,"  wherein  he  distinguishes 
this  palm  tree  from  those  which  grow  of  their  own  accord,  and 
represents  it  as  being  made  what  it  is  by  the  care  and  eultiva- 
tion  of  another,  and  not  becoming  so  by  its  own  nature;  that 
is,  as  being  cut  oflf  from  that  which  grew  of  its  own  accord 
and  by  nature,  and  planted  by  art  as  a  branch  in  some  other 
place.  And  this  is  what  I  said  before,  that  the  "will"  in  the  law 
of  the  Lord  is  found  in  no  man  by  nature,  but  brought  down 
out  of  heaven  by  the  great  planter  and  cultivator,  our  heavenly 
Father,  who  transplants  us  out  of  Adam  into  Christ. 


42  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

The  "rivers  of  water"  certainly  signify  the  rivers  of  vsrater 
of  divine  grace.  For  the  pahii  is  said  to  grow  in  a  soft,  sandy, 
nitrous,  and  saline  soil,  and  therefore  it  always  loves  rivers. 
And  so  also  the  "will,"  which  is  the  root  of  this  tree,  being 
in  this  dry  unfruitful  life,  thirsts  the  more  after  the  rivers 
of  heavenly  waters,  the  more  it  finds  that  there  is  nothing  in 
this  world  that  can  make  it  flourish,  as  Ps.  63:1,  saith  "my 
flesh  longeth  for  thee,  in  a  dry  and  weary  land,  where  no  water 
is."  And  thus,  as  Isaiah  saith,  53  :2,  "he  grew  up  before  him 
as  a  tender  plant,  and  as  a  root  out  of  a  dry  ground."  But, 
is  it  not  wonderful  that  a  tree  should  grow  in  a  barren  soil, 
being  nourished  by  the  rivers  of  water  only?  Blessed  there- 
fore is  the  man,  who,  the  more  he  feels  the  barrenness  of  the 
world,  the  more  he  thirsts  after  heavenly  waters.  Thus,  this 
tree  does  not  grow  by  the  richness  of  the  earth,  nor  does  the 
"blessed"  man  grow  by  the  luxuries  of  this  world. 

Some  have  inquired  why  the  prophet  here  saith  'wood', 
ligniini,  rather  than  'a  tree,'  arborcm,  and,  shall  'give'  his  fruit, 
rather  than  shall  'bear'  his  fruit.  The  reading  in  Genesis,  is, 
that  God  created  'wood',  lignum,  not  'the  tree,'  arborem.  And 
hence  the  scripture  still  preserves  the  metaphor  'wood'  for 
'tree'.  And  the  'giving'  of  fruit  shows  that  this  blessed  man 
serves  not  himself,  but  his  neighbors,  with  that  charity  which 
we  see  to  be  commanded  in  every  law  of  God.  For  there  is  no 
tree  that  brings  forth  fruit  for  itself,  but  every  tree  gives 
its  fruit  unto  others.  Nay,  no  creature  only  except  man  and 
the  devil  lives  to  itself,  or  serves  itself.  Nor  does  the  sun  shine 
for  itself,  nor  the  water  flow  for  itself,  etc. 

Thus  every  creature  observes  the  law  of  charity,  and  its 
whole  substance  is  in  the  law  of  the  Lord ;  nay,  even  the  differ- 
ent members  of  the  human  body  do  not  serve  themselves.  It 
is  the  affection  of  the  mind  only  that  is  ungodly,  for  this  not 
only  will  not  give  every  one  his  own,  and  will  not  serve  any 
one,  nor  wish  well  to  any  one,  but,  it  takes  all  from  all  for 
itself,  and  seeks  its  own  profit  in  all  things,  even  in  God  him- 


PSALM   I,  43 

self.  So  that  you  may  truly  say,  that  this  is  the  tree,  or  thorn, 
or  brier,  which  grows  of  its  own  accord,  cherished  by  the  cul- 
tivation of  no  other  hand,  nor  delighting  in  the  rivers  of  water ; 
and  bringing  forth  nothing  but  thorns,  with  which  it  goads, 
tears,  and  chokes  the  fruits  of  all  other  trees  that  grow  near 
it ;  and  also  pulls,  plucks,  and  tears  the  garments,  fleeces,  skin, 
ilesh,  and  every  thing  else  of  every  object  that  passes  by  it. 
The  prophet,  therefore,  has  here  set  forth  the  benefit  of  good 
trees,  —  that,  while  they  injure  no  one,  they  profit  all,  and  give 
forth  their  fruits  willingly. 

In  its  season. 

O  golden  and  admirable  word !  by  which,  is  asserted  the 
liberty  of  Christian  righteousness.  The  ungodly  have  their 
stated  days,  stated  times,  certain  works,  and  certain  places,  to 
which  they  stick  so  closely,  that  if  their  neighbors  were  perish- 
ing with  hunger  they  could  not  be  torn  from  them.  But  this 
blessed  man,  being  free  at  all  times,  in  all  places,  for  every 
work,  and  to  every  person,  will  serve  you  whenever  an  oppor- 
tunity is  offered  him;  whatsoever  comes  into  his  hands  to  do, 
he  does  it.  He  is  neither  a  Jew,  nor  a  Gentile,  nor  a  Greek, 
nor  a  barbarian,  nor  of  any  other  particular  person.  He  gives 
his  fruit  in  his  season,  as  often  as  either  God  or  man  require 
his  work. 

Therefore,  his  fruits  have  no  name,  and  his  times  have  no 
name.  He  does  not  serve  any  particular  person,  nor  in  any 
particular  time,  place,  or  work ;  but  he  serves  all  in  all  things. 
And  he  is  indeed  a  man  of  all  hours,  of  all  works,  of  all  per- 
sons ;  and,  ?fter  tlic  likeness  of  his  Father,  he  is  all  in  all  things, 
and  to  all  men. 

But  the  ungodly,  as  it  is  written  Ps.  18:45,  (Weimar  Ed. 
2  Sam.  22  46)  'fall  into  their  own  pit,  and  are  taken  in  their 
own  net,'  and  are  tormented  with  the  works,  times,  and  places, 
which  they  themselves  have  chosen,  aside  from  which  they 
imagine  nothing  can  be  done  rightly.     And  thus,  being  proud 


44  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

of  their  own  fruits,  they  do  nothing  but  attack,  judge,  and 
condemn  the  fruits  of  others,  being  most  free  and  most  ready 
at  all  times  to  censure  others;  in  a  word,  being  just  such  in 
evil  doing,  as  the  godly  are  in  well  doing.  For  they  also  are 
men  of  all  hours,  calumniating  and  injuring,  not  in  one  way, 
nor  at  one  time,  nor  one  person  only,  but  all  men  in  every  way 
and  at  all  times,  just  as  circumstances  throw  them  in  their 
way.  And  even  if  they  should  turn  this  devotedness  to  what 
they  may  call  good,  yet  they  would  not  any  the  sooner  become 
godly. 

This  I  say  indeed  not  because  I  wish  to  reject  the  cere- 
monies of  the  church  and  of  the  monasteries,  for  the  first  duty 
of  those,  who  entered  the  monasteries,  was  to  learn  to  be  subject 
to  their  superiors,  and  to  undertake  nothing  of  their  own  will, 
but  to  be  ready  to  serve  all  in  all  things.  The  monasteries 
were  truly  schools  to  awaken  and  develope  Christian  liberty, 
as  they  are  still  where  they  have  maintained  their  primitive 
spirit.  This,  I  say,  was  the  aim  and  character  of  the  ceremon- 
ies. For  what  are  the  works  of  love  and  mercy  themselves 
except  a  kind  of  free  ceremonies,  since  they  are  external  and 
pertain  to  the  body? 

The  ceremonies  of  the  old  law  were  likewise  most  useful 
exercises  in  the  true  and  free  divine  life.  But  since  they  began 
to  misuse  them  in  a  perverted  way  to  the  suppression  of  liberty 
and  in  that  they  took  them  as  a  pretext  to  extinguish  piety, 
and  instead  of  liberty,  slavery  reigns  as  a  tyrant,  it  has  become 
necessary  to  abolish  them  altogether,  as  it  is  now  the  aim  of 
the  pious  pastor  to  do  away  with  the  unnecessary  ceremonies, 
where  they  act  as  snares  of  the  soul  and  as  a  barrier  to  the 
free  divine  life. 

Whose  leaf  also  doth  not  zvither. 

He  still  pursues  this  most  beautiful  figure.  This  "leaf" 
signifies  the  Word  and  doctrine.  We  have  said  that  the  palm 
tree  is  always  green  in  leaf  and  flourishing.     But  it  is  said, 


PSALM    I.  -  45 

Jsaiah  i  130,  concerning  the  ungodly,  "ye  shall  be  as  an  oak 
whose  leaf  fadeth."  Now  compare  all  these  particulars.  The 
ungodly  walk  in  their  own  counsel ;  the  godly  man  is  fixed  in 
the  love  of  the  law,  and  planted  by  the  rivers  of  Avater.  The 
former  stand  in  the  way  of  sinners ;  the  latter  meditates  in  the 
law  of  the  Lord,  and  gives  forth  his  fruit  in  his  season.  The 
ungodly  sit  in  the  seat  of  the  scornful;  the  leaf  of  the  latter 
never  withers. 

And  note  that  he  describes  the  fruit  before  he  does  the 
leaf.  And  though  it  is  the  nature  of  the  palm  to  put  forth  its 
fruit,  not  among  the  leaves  like  all  other  trees,  but  among  the 
branches,  having  all  its  leaves  on  the  top,  so  that  it  might 
itself  seem  to  produce  its  fruit  before  it  does  its  leaves  and 
we  have  said  that  this  figure  is  taken  from  the  palm,  yet  the 
Holy  Spirit  himself  always  teaches  every  faithful  preacher  in 
the  church  to  know  that  the  kingdom  of  God  does  not  stand  in 
Vv^ord  but  in  power,  i  Cor.  4:20.  Again,  "Jesus  beg'an  to  do, 
and  to  teach,"  Acts  i  :i.  And  again,  "Which  was  a  prophet 
mighty  in  deed,  and  in  word,"  Luke  24:19.  And  thus,  let  him 
who  professes  the  word  of  doctrine  first  put  forth  the  fruits  of 
life,  if  he  would  not  have  his  leaf  to  wither ;  for  Christ  cursed 
the  fig  tree  which  bore  no  fruit.  And,  as  Gregory  saith,  that 
man  whose  life  is  despised  is  condemned  by  his  doctrine;  for 
he  preaches  to  others,  and  is  himself  reprobated.  And  con- 
cerning such  Matthew  says,  7  :23,  that  in  the  day  of  judgment 
they  shall  hear  this  sentence,  "depart  from  me,  ye  workers  of 
iniquity ;"  even  though  they  may  have  prophesied  in  the  name 
of  Christ,  and  done  many  wonderful  works  by  his  Word. 

But  some  one  may  say,  there  have  been  many  saints  and 
martyrs,  but  neither  their  fruits  nor  their  leaves  are  now  re- 
maining, but  all  have  perished  with  them ;  nor  indeed  have  we 
the  words  of  all  the  apostles.  How,  then,  can  this  praise  be 
applicable  to  all  blessed  men  ? 

I  answer :  —  their  word  was  not  their  own  word.  "For 
it  is  not  ye  that  speak,  saith  Christ,  but  the  Spirit  of  my  Father 


46  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

that  speaketh  in  you."  All  the  saints  were  taught  by,  and 
they  all  taught,  the  same  Word ;  as  we  read,  i  Cor.  10 :3,  4, 
All  did  eat  the  same  spiritual  food,  and  all  did  drink  the  same 
spiritual  drink."  And  Ps.  119:89,  "Forever,  O  Lord,  thy  word 
is  settled  in  heaven.    Thy  faithfulness  is  unto  all  generations." 

Thus  it  is  apparent  that  this  "blessed  man"  and  this  fruit- 
bearing  "tree,"  signify  the  whole  church,  or  those  who  hold 
the  office  of  teaching.  But  there  is  nothing  against  its  being 
understood  also  as  signifying  every  righteous  man,  because 
he  has  likewise  the  same  "leaf,"  for  if  he  does  not  teach  others, 
he  certainly  teaches  himself,  meditating  with  his  heart  in  the 
law  of  the  Lord,  which  word  remains  in  him  unto  eternity,  as 
it  does  also  in  the  whole  church.  And  finally,  as  all  the  faithful 
are  one  body,  although  this  leaf  is  peculiar  to  the  member  that 
teacheth,  yet,  by  communion  all  things  belong  to  all.  For  the 
word  is  mine  which  my  tongue  preaches,  though  I  may  be  only 
the  ear  and  not  the  tongue ;  and  so  we  may  say  of  the  other 
members  and  of  the  whole  body. 

And  whatsoever  he  doctli  (nwketh)  shall  prosper. 

If  he  saith  this  with  reference  to  the  tree  or  palm,  he  alludes 
to  the  fact  that  the  palm  is  said  to  be  the  only  tree  which  still 
grows  upwards  against  every  weight  and  pressure.  And  they 
say  that  this  is  seen  in  beams  made  of  palm  trees. 

And  with  respect  to  the  word  "doeth,"  in  this  passage  if 
I  am  not  too  bold,  it  does  not  signify  the  good  works  of  a 
righteous  man  for  these  have  been  sufficiently  commended  al- 
ready under  the  term  'fruits',  but  rather,  those  performances 
or  productions  which  we  achieve  by  means  of  the  arts  and 
sciences.  For  so,  the  philosophers  refer  'doing,'  agere,  to  wis- 
dom, and  'making,'  facere,  to  art.  And  we  may  see  the  same 
distinction  in  the  Hebrew  tongue  according  to  my  bold  way 
of  proceeding.  For  I  find  that  the  verb  asa  generally  signifies 
'making',  facere,  and  paal,  'doing',  agere.  Thus,  Ps.  28:5, 
"Because  they  regard  not  the  works  of  the  Lord,  nor  the  opera- 


PSALM   I.  47 

tion  of  his  hands ;"  where  "the  operation  of  his  hands"  signi- 
fies the  very  thing  formed.  As  it  is  also  in  another  place, 
"Israel  is  the  work  of  my  hands."  And  in  Gen.  i  7,  16,  25,  it 
is  said,  "And  God  made,"  etc.  And  again,  Ps.  95  :5,  "The  sea 
is  his,  and  he  made  it."  But  the  works  of  God  are  those  which 
lie  does  by  his  creatures ;  and  especially,  by  his  word  and  his 
grace,  by  which  he  acts  upon  us  and  makes  us  act. 

Let  therefore  this  "doing"  be  considered  to  signify  insti- 
tuting, ordaining,  distributing  by  various  ecclesiastical  mini- 
strations, and  as  the  apostles  Peter,  i  Pet.  4:10,  and  Paul, 
I  Cor.  12  4  etc.,  did,  acting  as  stewards  of  the  manifold  grace  of 
God,  founding  churches,  and  increasing  them ;  for  thus,  the 
very  faithful  are  said  to  be  of  their  fo'rming,  their  work,  and 
their  workmanship.  Hence  Paul  'travailed  in  birth,'  for  the 
Galatians,  4:19,  and  'begat'  the  Corinthians,  i  Cor.  4:15.  And 
again,  "Are  ye  not  my  work  in  the  Lord?"  i  Cor,  9:1.  You 
understand  therefore  that  this  is  the  spiritual  workmanship  of 
a  blessed  man,  not  a  tyrannical  exercise  of  power,  nor  a  pomp- 
ous show,  for  these  things  even  the  gentiles  can  do  and  show 
forth.  But  the  'doing'  of  this  blessed  man  is,  making  many 
good  and  blessed  and  like  himself. 

And  with  regard  to  this  "prospering,"  take  heed  that  thou 
understand  not  a  carnal  prosperity.  This  prosperity  is  a  hidden 
prosperity,  and  lies  entirely  secret  in  the  spirit ;  and  therefore 
if  thou  hast  not  this  prosperity  that  is  by  faith,  thou  shouldst 
rarher  judge  thy  prosperity  to  be  the  greatest  adversity.  For  as 
the  devil  bitterly  hates  this  leaf  and  the  Word  of  God,  so  docs 
he  also  those  who  teach  and  hear  it,  and  he  persecutes  such, 
aided  by  all  the  powers  of  the  world.  Therefore,  thou  hearest 
of  a  miracle,  the  greatest  of  all  miracles,  v/hen  thou  hearest 
that  all  things  prosper  which  a  "blessed"  man  doeth.  For 
what  is  more  miraculous  than  that  the  faithful  should  grow 
while  they  are  destroyed,  should  increase  while  they  are  di- 
minished, should  prevail  while  otliers  prevail  over  them,  should 
enter  while  they  are    expelled,    and    should    conquer    while 


48  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

they  are  conquered?  For  thus  the  world  and  its  prince  are 
overcome.  Yet  hath  the  Lord  wonderfully  ordained,  that,  to 
his  saint,  Ps.  4  4,  that  should  be  the  height  of  prosperity  which 
is  the  height  of  misery.  This  is  the  prosperity  of  the  wise  and 
the  conversion  of  men. 

But  now  we  see  that  word  of  Proverbs  i  :32,  is  fulfilled, 
"For  the  careless  ease  of  the  simple  shall  slay  them,  and  the 
backsliding  of  fools  shall  destroy  them."  For  in  the  present 
state  of  the  church,  we  have  made  names  and  persons,  and 
have  turned  the  spirit  into  the  flesh ;  and  therefore  what  is  now 
called  a  good  state  of  the  church,  is  opulence,  tyranny,  im- 
purity, the  peace  of  the  flesh,  and  a  pomp  more  than  human. 
For  the  devil  has  seen,  and  at  length  understood,  this  spiritual 
prosperity,  and  therefore,  he  has  turned  himself  round,  and 
attacking  us  in  another  way,  triumphs  in  our  horrible  misery. 
And  thus,  he  who  was  conquered  in  a  time  of  conflict,  now  tri- 
umphs in  a  time  of  peace ;  and  God  for  wonderful  ends  has  or- 
dained both.  Hence,  Flilary  has  wisely  and  most  truly  said, 
'that  it  is  the  nature  of  the  church  to  increase  in  adversity,  and 
decrease  in  prosperity.'  But  this  wisdom  of  the  cross,  and  this 
new  signification  of  things,  are  not  only  unknown  to  the  very 
heads  themselves  of  the  church,  but  are  considered  by  them  the 
most  horrible  of  things.  And  no  wonder,  since  they  have  left 
the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  have  devoted  themselves  to  the  un- 
happy ordinances  of  men,  and  to  casting  up  of  accounts  and 
sums  of  money. 

The  zvicked  (ungodly)  arc  not  so. 

In  the  Hebrew  text  "not  so,"  "non  sic,"  is  not  repeated,  but 
that  has  little  significance.  Vv^hen  thou  hearest  the  word  "un- 
godly," remember  those  things  which  we  have  said  above  con- 
cerning ungodliness,  lest,  like  the  ungodly,  thou  shouldst  banish 
these  words  from  thee  as  applying  to  the  Jews  only,  and  to 
heretics,  and  I  know  not  what  others  who  are  far  ofif ;  and 
lest  perhaps  laying  aside  the  fear  of  God,  thou  shouldst  not 


PSALM    I.  I  49 

tremble  at  this  word  of  his.  But  as  he  is  an  ungodly  one  who 
is  without  the  faith  of  Christ,  you  should  tremble  at  these 
words,  lest  you  also  should  be  found  to  be  one  of  the  ungodly. 
For  every  truly  godly  man  trembles  at  every  word  of  God ; 
as  Isaiah  saith,  66  :2,  "To  this  man  will  I  look,  even  to  him 
that  is  poor  and  of  a  contrite  spirit,  and  that  trembleth  at  my 
word."  And  how  wilt  thou  assure  thyself  that  thou  hast  faith 
enough?  Remember  then,  that  as  much  as  thou  art  deficient 
in  faith,  so  much  hast  thou  of  ungodliness. 

It  is  the  way  of  the  ungodly  with  confident  security  to  ar- 
rogate to  themselves  all  those  things  that  are  good,  and  to  refer 
all  that  is  evil  unto  others.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  the  way 
of  the  godly  to  believe  all  that  evil  of  themselves  which  does 
not  belong  to  them,  and  to  refer  all  good  unto  others ;  nor  can 
tliey  be  brought  to  aspire  after  the  better  things  without  much 
suffering  of  unworthiness,  even  though  they  seek  those  things 
not  on  account  of  any  merit  in  themselves,  but  only  by  a  naked 
hope  in  the  mercy  of  God. 

Therefore  there  is  no  prosperity  to  the  wicked ;  they  have  a 
withering  leaf,  and  are  not  planted  by  the  rivers  of  water. 
But  hear  in  the  spirit  one  who  speaks  in  the  spirit.  For  the 
whole  scripture  declares  that  the  ungodly  flourish  and  prosper, 
and  we  see  the  same  in  many  of  the  Psalms ;  so  that  it  seem^' 
as  if  one  could  say  of  them  only,  'Their  leaf  is  green,  and  all 
that  they  do  prospers.'  Hence  faith  is  necessary  to  understand 
these  things.  i  '^-^jS:^ 

But  are  like  the  chaff  (dust)  ivhich  the  zvind  driveth  (scat- 
ter eth)  azvay. 

In  the  Latin  translation  is  added  "from  the  face  of  the 
earth."  This  does  not  affect  the  meaning.  The  Hebrew  word 
CAMOTz  in  this  passage  signifies  'chaff,'  or  'the  dust  of  chaff,' 
oi  'the  sweepings  of  a  barn  floor ;'  yet,  it  is  of  no  moment,  for 
it  is  the  same  thing  whether  you  say  dust,  or  chaff-dust,  or 
chafif,  or  ashes ;  because  the  persons  here  represented  are  those 


50  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

concerning  whom  Luke  saith,  3:17,  "Whose  fan  is  in  his  hand, 
thoroughly  to  cleanse  his  threshing-floor,  and  to  gather  the 
wheat  into  his  garner,  but  the  chaff  he  will  burn  with  un- 
quenchable fire."  And  you  need  not  have  the  least  doubt  that 
it  is  this  purging,  this  chaff,  and  this  chaff-dust,  that  is  sig- 
nified in  the  present  passage,  though  strictly  and  most  properly 
the  word  signifies  small  chaff  and  pieces  of  chaff.  And  Job  in 
the  same  way  saith,  21  :i8,  "They  are  as  stubble  before  the 
wind,  and  as  chaff  that  the  storm  carrieth  away." 

Observe  that  he  does  not  only  call  them  chaff,  but  that 
chaff  which  the  wind  scattereth  away ;  he  does  not  wish  to  sig- 
nify the  chaff  which  lies  still,  but  that  which  is  driven  about, 
scattered  and  dispersed.  And  we  may  understand  him  first  of 
the  Jews,  for  these  are  scattered  away  in  a  threefold  sense. 
First,  corporally,  by  storms ;  that  is,  by  the  will  and  indignation 
of  those  men  among  whom  they  live,  so  that  we  plainly  see 
with  our  own  eyes  that  they  have  no  certain  dwelling-place, 
and  are  exposed  every  moment  to  a  wind  of  this  kind  that 
drives  them  here  and  there.  Secondly,  their  minds  are  driven 
about  by  the  wind  of  various  doctrine,  by  means  of  their  pesti- 
lent teachers,  because  they  are  not  planted  in  the  faith  of 
Christ,  but  their  minds  are  scattered  in  different  directions  by 
uncertain  doctrines,  while  their  consciences  can  find  no  certainty 
or  quiet.  Thirdly,  in  the  last  day  they  will  be  scattered  by  the 
eternal  storms  of  the  intolerable  wrath  of  God,  and  will  be 
driven  avv^ay  never  to  have  rest,  not  even  for  a  moment. 

And  the  same  things,  especially  the  two  last-mentioned 
storms,  will  also  await  all  heretics. 

And  what  else  do  you  think  it  is  in  the  church  but  the 
storm  of  the  wrath  of  God,  that  has  scattered  us  away  into  so 
many  and  different,  such  unstable  and  uncertain,  and  at  the 
same  time  infinite,  glosses  of  lawyers  and  opinions  of  theo- 
logians? While  Christ  in  the  meantime  is  utterly  unknown, 
and  we  are  miserably  driven  and  dashed  upon  so  nrany  quick- 
sands, rocks,  and  straits  of  conscience? 


PSALM  I.  51 

Though  all  the  rest  of  the  ungodly  have  their  storms  and 
hurricanes  of  pleasures  and  lusts,  of  riches,  honors,  favors, 
and  the  other  billows  of  this  world,  by  which  they  are  most 
miserably  dashed  to  and  fro,  because  they  despise  the  one  only 
rock  and  solid  strength  of  our  heart. 

V.  5.  Therefore  the  ivicked  (ungodly)  shall  not  stand  in 
the  judgment,  nor  sinners  in  the  congregation  (counsel)  of 
the  righteous. 

We  have  already  fully  shown  who  are  sinners  and  ungodly ; 
and  do  thou  take  heed  that  thou  hear  not  these  words  of  God 
without  trembling,  as  if  thou  wert  sure  of  being  godly  and  a 
saint.  This  fear  itself  is  godliness ;  nay,  the  very  fountain- 
spring  and  beginning  of  wisdom  and  godliness. 

In  the  Hebrew  it  is  "arise,"  not  "be  raised,"  and  the  con- 
text does  not  treat  of  the  resurrection  of  the  dead.  For  he  did 
not  say:  men  will  not  rise  in  judgment,  but  the  ungodly.  The 
resurrection  of  men  is  different  from  that  of  the  ungodly. 
Therefore  in  the  Apostle's  Creed  it  is  better  the  resurrection 
of  the  flesh  than  the  resurrection  of  men.  The  apostle  calls  it 
a  resurrection  of  the  dead  or  of  men,  in  that  he  holds  to  two 
resurrections,  one  of  the  flesh  and  the  other  of  the  spirit. 
"Shall  not  rise"  here  signifies  that  the  ungodly  shall  not  stand 
before  God,  according  to  Ps.  5  :5  :  "The  foolish  shall  not  stand 
in  thy  sight.  And  Psalm  24  :3,  "Who  shall  ascend  into  the  hill 
of  the  Lord?  or  who  shall  stand  in  his  holy  place?"  and  this 
is  said  also  concerning  Christ  when  he  shall  rise  up  in  judg- 
ment;  as  is  also  Ps.  12:5,  "Now  will  I  arise,  saith  the  Lord." 
Therefore,  "shall  not  rise,"  signifies  that  they  shall  not  stand, 
shall  not  serve,  shall  not  minister  unto  God,  as  they  most  con- 
fidently presume  they  shall  do. 

"Judgment"  in  this  place,  by  a  scriptural  figure,  signifies 
office.  Thus,  the  whole  book  of  Judges  is  so  called  from  the 
Judges  or  rulers  of  Israel;  as  in  Psalm  122:5,  "For  there  are 
set  thrones  for  judgment,  the  thrones  of  the  house  of  David." 


52  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

And  so  also  Psalm  no  :6,  "He  shall  judge  among  the  heathen," 
that  is,  he  shall  be  the  judge  of  the  heathen.  And  Ps.  72  4, 
"He  will  judge  the  poor  of  the  people,"  that  is,  he  shall  rule 
them.  And  again,  Ps.  96:13,  "He  will  judge  the  world  with 
righteousness,  and  the  peoples  with  his  truth." 

The  meaning  therefore  is,  the  wicked  shall  never  rise  to 
that  state  so  as  to  be  the  judges  or  rulers  of  the  faithful,  nor 
even  stand  in  their  "counsel,"  that  is,  in  their  congregation; 
which  means,  that  they  shall  never  be  reckoned  either  among 
the  great  or  the  small  of  the  faithful.  And,  to  explain  the 
whole  more  plainly,  it  signifies  that  the  ungodly  shall  never 
so  rise  in  judgment  nor  in  the  congregation  of  the  righteous 
as  to  be  considered  the  servants  of  God. 

What !  shall  we  not  then  put  down  these  ungodly  rulers 
and  these  wicked  men,  and  cast  them  out  from  the  midst  of 
us?  Or,  is  that  not  a  congregation  of  the  faithful  where  un- 
godly men  rule  and  where  sinners  are  intermingled?  By  no 
means. 

I  before  observed,  that  the  prophet  spoke  spiritually,  and 
must  therefore  be  heard  spiritually.  For  Judas  was  an  apostle, 
and  yet  he  was  not  an  apostle.  And  as  John  saith,  i  Epist.  2:19, 
"They  went  out  from  us,  but  they  were  not  of  us."  And  thus 
the  ungodly,  while  they  rule,  rule  visibly  as  to  their  persons, 
but  in  truth  do  not  rule  at  all.  For  Zechariah,  11  wy,  saith, 
"Woe  to  the  worthless  (idol)  shepherd  that  leaveth  the  flock." 
Here  he  calls  the  same  person  a  "shepherd,"  which  was  the 
name  with  which  he  was  honored  among  men,  and  also  an 
"idol,"  for  which  he  was  condemned  before  God. 

In  order  that  we  may  understand  that  precedence  is  not 
that  which  essentially  belongs  to  the  faithful,  Christ  rewards 
many  of  the  ungodly  in  this  life  with  a  paltry  pittance.  Such 
men,  therefore,  are  to  be  borne  with,  as  chaff  is  among  wheat, 
until  the  winnowing  day  shall  come. 

And  see  whether  this  be  not  plainly  the  prophet's  meaning. 
For,  when  he  had  before  said  "the  ungodly  are  not  so,"  it  was 


PSALM    I.  53 

not  necessary  to  repeat  the  same  in  another  verse;  it  would 
,  have  been  sufficient  to  have  said,  'therefore  the  ungodly  shall 
not  rise  in  the  judgment,  nor  in  the  congregation  of  the 
righteous.'  But  he  has  spoken  thus,  that  he  may  do  away 
with  all  outward  person,  and  all  the  external  appearance  of 
men ;  because  rich  men,  powerful  men,  and  what  other  external 
appearance  soever  there  may  be,  may  rise  in  the  judgment,  and 
be  in  the  congregation  of  the  righteous,  seeing  that  all  these 
things  pertain  only  to  the  body.  But  ungodly  men  and  sinners 
never  can.  Therefore  the  whole  force  of  the  passage  lies  in 
the  terms  'ungodly"  and  "sinners." 

For  such  never  have  the  precedence  in  reality  and  in  spirit. 
The  ungodly  are  never  among  the  faithful,  though  they  carry 
so  showy  an  appearance  in  external  life  that  it  may  be  thought 
that  none  have  so  much  precedence  over,  and  such  a  place 
among,  the  faithful,  as  they.  And  this  hypocrisy  and  external 
show  of  which  they  are  so  proud,  on  which  they  presume  so 
much,  and  by  which  they  deceive  so  many,  are  the  very  things 
at  which  the  Psalm  strikes.  That  this  is  the  true  meaning  of 
the  verse  is  shown  by  the  following  verse. 

V.  6.  For  Jehovah  {the  Lord)  knozveth  the  ivay  of  th^ 
righteous,  hut  the  zvay  of  the  wicked  (ungodly)  shall  perish. 

The  Latin  could  have  avoided  the  use  of  the  two  words 
"viam"  and  "iter"  and  said  "the  way  (via)  of  the  ungodly," 
since  the  diction  is  the  same  and  a  fine  antithesis :  "the  way  of 
the  righteous"  and  "the  way  of  the  ungodly,"  and  thus  as  in 
Hebrew  the  same  word  would  have  been  retained. 

So  specious,  saith  David,  is  the  way  of  the  ungodly,  that 
unto  men  they  may  seem  to  rise  in  the  judgment  and  to  stand 
in  the  congregation.  But  he  who  can  not  be  deceived  under- 
stands their  ways  and  knows  that  they  are  ungodly ;  and  in  the 
eyes  of  him  they  are  not  at  all  among  the  members  of  his 
church.  He  knows  the  righteous  only,  and  knows  not  sinners, 
that  is,  he  approves  the  one,  and  not  the  other.     Therefore 


54  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

what  they  the  least  of  all  expect  or  believe,  their  way  shall 
perish  —  shall  perish,  I  say,  though  it  go  on  with  such  success 
as  to  seem  to  be  eternal.  Behold,  how  he  here  terrifies  us 
away  from  all  prosperous  appearance,  and  commends  to  us 
various  temptations  and  adversities.  For  this  "way"  of  the 
righteous  all  men  utterly  reprobate,  thinking  also,  that  God 
knoweth  nothing  about  any  such  way,  because  this  is  the 
wisdom  of  the  cross.  Therefore,  it  is  God  alone  that  knoweth 
the  way  of  the  righteous,  so  hidden  is  it  to  the  righteous  them- 
selves. For  his  right  hand  leads  them  on  in  a  wonderful  man- 
ner, seeing  that  it  is  a  way,  not  of  sense,  nor  of  reason,  but 
of  faith  only,  even  of  that  faith  that  sees  in  darkness  and  be- 
holds things  that  are  invisible. 

When,  therefore,  we  are  subject  to  ungodly  shepherds,  we 
do  not  obey  the  ungodly,  but  men^  for  we  do  not  hear  or  follow 
their  ungodliness,  but  we  endure  the  precedence  of  their  per- 
sons. Again,  when  men  put  down  and  cast  out  such,  as  we 
see  in  Bohemia,  is  it  the  ungodly  that  they  put  down  ?  no !  they 
put  down  the  persons.  For  the  ungodly  who  are  thus  put 
down  remain  ungodly  still.  It  is  then  only  that  the  ungodly 
man  is  put  down  when  he  is  led  from  ungodliness  to  godliness ; 
which  is  not  done  by  external  violence  but  by  love,  internally 
praying  and  externally  admonishing,  where  God  condescends 
to  work  at  the  same  time. 

Whoso  is  not  pleased  to  understand  this  passage  thus,  let 
him  abide  by  this  interpretation,  that  the  psalmist,  in  the  first 
place,  directs  his  words  against  the  ungodly  Jews ;  for  he  has 
in  many  other  places  predicted  that  these  shall  be  driven  from 
the  church,  as  shall  also  heretics  and  all  those  who  openly  de- 
clare their  ungodliness,  for  they  alienate  themselves  from  the 
church  and  the  church  alienates  and  expels  them,  however 
much  they  may  boast  that  they  only  are  the  church  and  the 
people  of  God. 

Finally,  the  admonition  is  to  be  given  which  the  most  illus- 
trious fathers,  especially  Athanasius  and  Augustine,  have  given, 


PSALM    I.  55 

namely,  that  our  affections  and  feelings  be  brought  in  accord 
with,  and  be  attempered  to,  the  feelings  described  in  the  Psalms. 
For  since  the  Psalter  is  solely  a  certain  school  and  place  of 
exercise  for  the  affections,  he  harps  without  results,  who  does 
not  harp  in  the  spirit.  So  that  when  thou  readest,  "Blessed  is 
the  man  that  hath  not  gone  away  in  the  counsel  of  the  ungodly," 
thy  feelings  and  affections  ought  to  move  at  the  same  time  and 
to  hate  the  counsel  of  the  wicked  and  pray  against  it,  not  only 
on  account  of  thyself  but  on  account  of  the  whole  church 
also;  and  so  they  should  also  when  thou  readest  of  the  "way  of 
sinners"  and  their  "pestilence"  of  doctrine.  For  it  is  with 
this  fire,  the  affection  of  love,  that  heretics  are  to  be  burnt, 
and  all  who  savour  of  and  teach,  ungK)dliness.  But  since  we 
have  despised  that  fire  God  has  given  us  over  to  a  reprobate 
mind,  to  become  murdering  executioners,  and  to  burn  heretics 
with  natural  fire,  and  to  be  burnt  again  ourselves  in  return. 

And  so  also,  when  thou  soundest  forth,  "But  his  will  is  in 
the  law  of  the  Lord,"  thou  art  not  here  to  snore  in  safety,  and 
securely  bless  thyself,  as  if  thou  wert  already  a  lover  of  the 
law  of  God ;  but  thou  art,  with  all  the  ardor  of  the  affection 
of  thy  mind,  to  sigh  unto  him  who  alone  came  to  send  that  fire 
upon  the  earth;  nor  art  thou,  as  long  as  thou  livest,  to  think 
otherwise  of  thyself  than  as  one  who  does  not  yet  love  the 
law  of  God,  and  who  greatly  needs  this  "will  in  the  law." 

Again,  when  thou  hearest  that  all  things  "prosper"  for  the 
righteous  man,  thou  art  to  desire  it  for  thyself  and  to  sigh  for 
all  those  who  are  placed  in  any  adversity,  of  what  kind  soever 
it  may  be;  and  so,  when  thou  hearest  that  their  leaf  doth  not 
wither  and  that  the  pure  word  of  God  flourisheth  in  the  church 
of  Christ,  all  fables  and  dreams  of  men  being  cast  out.  And  if 
thou  see  any  of  these  things  so  take  place  anywhere,  thou  art 
to  congratulate,  to  rejoice  and  to  give  thanks  unto  the  divine 
goodness.  And  do  not  think  that  thou  art  thus  exhorted  to 
impossibilities ;  only  make  the  attempt,  and  I  know  that  thou 
wilt  have  to  rejoice  and  be  thankful.     First,  exercise  thyself 


56  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

in  one  Psalm,  nay  in  one  verse  of  a  Psalm.  Thou  hast  done 
much  if  thou  hast  learned  to  make  one  verse  in  a  day,  or  even 
in  a  week,  a  living  and  breathing  word  by  being  felt  in  thy 
affections.  And  when  thou  hast  attained  unto  this  beginning 
all  the  rest  will  follow,  and  there  will  open  unto  thee  an  over- 
flowing treasure  of  knowledge  and  affection ;  only,  take  heed 
that  thou  be  not  frightened  away  from  beginning  by  any  weari- 
ness or  despair.  This  is  truly  to  harp,  or,  as  the  scripture  saith 
of  David,  to  strike  the  harp-strings  with  the  fingers.  For  the 
nimble  fingers  of  the  harpers  which  run  over  the  strings  and 
strike  them,  represent  the  affections  running  over  the  words 
of  the  Psalms  and  being  moved  by  them ;  and  as  the  strings 
do  not  sound  without  the  fingers,  so  neither  is  the  Psalm  read 
or  sung  unless  it  touch  the  affections. 

I  wished  thus  to  premise  these  things  once  in  this  first 
Psalm,  that  I  might  not  have  occasion  to  repeat  the  same 
through  every  Psalm.  Though  I  know  very  well,  that  if  any 
one  be  exercised  in  this  matter,  he  will  of  himself  find  more 
in  the  Psalter  than  all  the  commentaries  of  all  commentators 
put  together  can  give  him.  I  see  that  Bernard  excelled  in  this, 
and  drew  all  his  fund  of  understanding  from  it.  And  I  know 
that  the  same  way  was  discovered  and  made  sweet  to  Augustine 
and  many  others.  And  so  also,  we  ought  to  drink  out  of  the 
same  fountain  these  waters  of  life,  lest  that  cutting  rebuke 
should  fall  upon  us  which  is  found  in  the  prophet  Amos,  re- 
specting 'inventing  for  themselves  instruments  of  music  like 
David,'  Amos  6  :5.  And  again,  "Take  thou  away  from  me  the 
noise  of  thy  songs ;  for  I  will  not  hear  the  melody  of  thy  viols," 
Amos  5  123.  For  what  thinkest  thou  that  all  the  muttering  and 
roaring  which  everywhere  fills  our  churches  without  either 
mind  or  spirit,  appears  to  be  in  the  sight  of  God !  nothing  but 
a  swarm  of  flies  making  a  buzzing  noise  with  their  wings. 
And  if  thou  addest  to  all  this  a  belief  that  such  things  please 
God  thou  makest  the  true  and  living  God  a  laughing  stock  and 
an  idle  phantom. 


PSALM   II. 


PSALM    11. 


V.  I.  Why  do  the  nations  (people)  rage,  and  the  peoples 
meditate  a  vain  thing? 

V.  2.  The  kings  of  the  earth  set  themselves  (stand  up), 
and  the  rulers  take  counsel  together,  against  Jehovah  (the 
Lord)  and  against  his  anointed,  saying. 

That  this  Psahn  was  written  by  David,  and  that  it  speaks 
of  Christ,  the  authority  of  the  primitive  church  compels  us  to 
conclude ;  concerning  which  Luke  writes,  Acts  4 :24-28,  "They 
lifted  up  their  voice  to  God  with  one  accord,  and  said,  O  Lord, 
thou  that  didst  make  the  heaven  and  the  earth  and  the  sea, 
and  all  that  in  them  is ;  who  by  thy  Holy  Spirit,  by  the  mouth 
of  our  father  David  thy  servant  didst  say,  'Why  did  the  Gen- 
tiles rage,  and  the  peoples  imagine  vain  things?  The  kings  of 
the  earth  set  themselves  in  array,  and  the  rulers  were  gath- 
ered together,  against  the  Lord  and  against  his  Anointed.'  " 
And  the  kings  of  the  earth  have  set  themselves  in  array  and 
the  rulers  have  taken  counsel  together,  against  the  Lord  and 
against  his  Christ.  For,  of  a  truth,  in  this  city  Herod  and 
Pontius  Pilate,  with  the  gentiles  and  the  people  of  Israel,  have 
taken  counsel  together  against  thy  holy  child  Jesus,  whom 
thou  hast  anointed ;  for  to  do  whatsoever  thy  hand  and  thy 
counsel  determined  before  to  be  done,  etc' 

Therefore  the  heart  is  to  be  established  in  this  sense  of 
the  Psalm,  and  not  to  be  tossed  about  by  any  other  wind  of 
doctrine,  Eph.  4:14,  because  this  meaning  of  it  was  confirmed 
from  heaven ;  for,  as  the  same  Luke  saith,  "when  they  had 
prayed  the  place  was  shaken  wherein  they  were  gathered  to- 
gether" Acts  4:31. 

It  is  quite  clear,  therefore,  that  by  "the  kings"  is  signified 
Herod  and  Pilate,  even  though  Pilate  was  not  king,  for  these 
two  co-operated  together  to  fulfil  that  which  the  counsel  of 


58  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

God  had  determined  before  to  be  done,  as  the  disciples  them- 
selves here  say,  that  is,  to  destroy  Christ. 

It  now  remains  that  we  clear  up  the  trifling  difficulty  con- 
cerning Pilate.  He  is  either  called  a  king  with  Herod,  or  else 
called  so  by  a  figure  of  speech  most  commonly  used  in  the 
scriptures,  which  gives  an  appellation  to  the  whole  people  from 
the  name  of  a  part.  Thus,  Israel  is  called  the  "first-born," 
even  though  many  among  them  were  idolaters.  And  again, 
they  are  all  rebuked  when  only  some  of  them  deserved  it.  And 
so  also,  the  one  being  king  makes  both  to  be  kings. 

Again,  by  "rulers"  are  to  be  understood  the  heads  of  the 
priests ;  by  "heathen,"  the  Roman  soldiers  under  Pilate,  who 
seized  Jesus,  scourged  him,  and  crucified  him ;  and  by  "people" 
we  are  clearly  to  understand  the  common  people  of  the  Jews, 
or  Israel,  as  the  apostles  themselves  say. 

In  this  passage  therefore  heathen  and  people  are  kept  mani- 
festly distinct.  But  I  do  not  dare  to  affirm,  nor  do  I  believe, 
that  this  distinction  is  maintained  in  all  instances,  though  the 
term  heathen  is  most  frequently  used  in  contradistinction  to 
the  Jews,  or  Israel.  For  thus,  the  church  of  the  heathen  or 
Gentiles,  and  Paul  an  apostle  of  the  heathen  or  Gentiles,  is  held 
in  universal  authority  and  use,  as  distinct  from  the  church 
of  the  Jews,  or  that  which  is  of  the  Jews. 

And  observe  how  this  distinction  is  kept  up,  "the  heathen 
rage,"  and  "the  peoples  meditate  a  vain  thing,"  "the  kings  set 
themselves  in  array,"  and,  "the  rulers  take  counsel  together." 
The  "lieathcn,"  as  irrational  beasts  raged,  for  they  knew  not 
what  they  did.  But  the  "people"'  prated  and  conferred  in 
their  councils  speaking  iniquity  against  the  Most  High,  and 
surrounded  him  on  every  side  with  words  of  hatred,  as  it  is 
set  forth  in  Psalm  109  :2  etc.,  saying,  "Come,  let  us  kill  him, 
and  the  inheritance  shall  be  ours,"  Hark  12:7.  And  Caiaphas, 
John  1 1  :  49-50,  having  assembled  the  people,  said,  "Ye  know 
nothing  at  all :  nor  do  ye  take  account  that  it  is  expedient  for 
you  that  one  man  should  die  for  the  people."     These  vain 


PSALM   II.  59 

addresses  to  the  people,  therefore,  whereby  they  so  often  sought 
to  destroy  Christ,  and  their  fabricated  accusations  before  Pi- 
late, are  what  David  here  calls  Vain  meditations.' 

For  the  "kings"  decreed,  because  that  is  what  we  are  here 
to  understand  from  the  Hebrew  'stood  up,'  determined,  issued 
proclamations,  and  confirmed  these  their  ragings  and  medi- 
tations by  giving  their  sentence  concerning  Christ.  "And  so 
Pilate  willing  to  satisfy  the  people,  released  Barabbas  unto 
them,  and  delivered  Jesus,  when  he  had  scourged  him,  to  be 
crucified,"  Mark  15:15.  And  the  "rulers"  gathered  together, 
consulted,  persuaded  the  people,  and  at  the  same  time  con- 
firmed them  in  their  determination  to  crucify  Jesus ;  for  "the 
chief  priests  stirred  up  the  multitude,  that  he  should  rather  re- 
lease Barabbas  unto  them,"  Mark  15:11. 

Observe  here  the  tenderness  and  modesty  of  the  prophetic 
mouth,  how  feelingly,  and  as  it  were  sympathetically,  he  speaks 
of  the  fury  of  these  men.  For  when  he  might  with  justice 
have  called  these  enraged  expressions,  "Away  with  him,  crucify 
hmi!"  John  19:15,  and  all  those  other  infuriated  clamours  of 
the  Jews  whereby  they  accused  Christ,  frenzy  and  maddened 
violence,  he  calls  them  only  meditations.  And  meditation,  as 
the  object  we  have  shown  before,  Ps.  i  :2,  is  a  continual  prating 
or  talking  with  the  mouth ;  and  this  is  here  a  meditation  in 
a  bad  sense.  For  as  a  lover  is  always  spontaneously  saying 
many  things  about  the  object  beloved,  so  the  hater  is  assiduous- 
ly prating  and  saying  the  worst  of  things  about  the  object 
hated.  And  there  is  the  same  modesty  also  in  the  words  "rage," 
'stand  up,"  and  "take  counsel  together;"  for  the  act  itself  was 
far  more  atrocious  than  the  purport  of  these  words  would  seem 
to  indicate. 

We  are  hereby  taught  that  we  ought  not,  after  the  manner 
of  detractors,  to  exaggerate  the  evil  conduct  of  men,  but  as 
much  as  possible  to  lessen  it ;  that  we  may  snow  that  we  do  not 
feei  so  much  indignation  on  our  own  account,  as  pity  on  theirs. 


6o  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

For  the  Holy  Spirit  is  kind.  He  does  not  glory  in  the  evils 
of  others,  but,  in  his  kindness,  pities  all.  And  thus  St.  Peter 
says  of  Christ,  "who  when  he  was  reviled,  reviled  not  again; 
when  he  suffered,  threatened  not ;  but  committed  himself  to 
him  that  judgeth  righteously."     i  Epist.  2  123. 

David  says,  "vain  things,"  in  which  expression  he  com- 
prehends the  purport  of  nearly  the  whole  of  the  Psalm.  For 
he  wishes  to  show  that  Christ,  who  is  set  up  as  king  by  God 
the  Father,  cannot  be  hindered  nor  prevented  by  all  the  many 
and  great  resisting  counsels,  attempts,  and  furies  of  Gentiles, 
Jews,  kings,  and  rulers ;  but  all  their  endeavours  are  so  utterly 
spent  in  vain,  that  they  make  themselves  a  derision,  and  by  their 
very  resistance  further  the  kingdom  of  Christ.  As  if  the  pro- 
phet wished  in  this  Psalm,  as  an  example,  to  prove  that  which 
he  had  declared  in  the  first  Psalm,  'That  all  things  whatso- 
ever he  doeth,  as  far  as  it  is  understood  with  reference  to 
Christ,  shall  prosper.' 

For  to  this  tend  those  words  of  Ps.  48  -.4,  'And  in  thy  maj- 
esty ride  on  prosperously,'  etc.  And  Ps.  118:25,  26,  "O  Lord, 
prosper  thou.  Blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord."  For  the  prosperity  of  Christ,  as  I  said,  Ps.  i  :3,  is 
not  worldly,  nor  carnal,  but  spiritual.  For  what  man  is  there, 
who  while  Christ  was  suffering,  would  not  have  thought,  that 
he  should  ever  have  been  one  of  the  lowest  men  living,  and 
that  he  was  the  farthest  from  being  king  of  all.  Who  would 
not  have  believed,  that  the  meditations  of  the  people  were  then 
hrmly  established,  and  the  farthest  from  being  vain,  when 
they  gloried  that  he  was  condemned  to  the  curse  of  the  cross 
by  the  authority  of  God  himself,  and  thought  that  their  medi- 
tations were  established  forever?    Matt.  27  42,  etc. 

So  necessary  always  are  faith  and  hope  in  the  works  of 
God,  not  only  in  the  things  that  are  to  be  borne,  but  in  those 
which  are  to  be  understood :  which  are  always  accomplished 
contrary  to  all  human  sense  and  apprehension. 

/\nd  this  also  is  a  word  of  faith  —  "As^aiiist  the  Lord  and 


PSALM  II.  6l 

against  his  Christ ;"  for  they  seemed,  Doth  to  all  others  and 
also  to  themselves,  to  be  acting  for  God  and  for  his  Christ. 
Thus  also,  at  this  day  and  always,  the  ungodly  work  against 
the  glory  of  God,  when  they  imagine  they  are  working  for 
the  glory  of  God.  And  it  is  thus  that  God  governs  the  world, 
making  all  its  wisdom  foolishness.  So  that  they  who  are  :on- 
sidered  to  be  acting  for  the  glory  of  God,  are  acting  to  the 
blasphemy  of  him ;  and  those  who  are  accused  of  blaspheming 
him,  are  the  very  persons  who  are  truly  contending  for  his 
glory.  Thus  his  way  is  in  a  hidden  path,  in  faith,  and  in 
holiness ;  but  'the  court  which  is  without  the  temple  is  not 
measured,  because  it  is  given  to  the  Gentiles,'  saitli  John,  Rev. 
II  :2. 

David  saith,  first,  "against  the  Lord,"  and  then,  against 
his  anointed."  For  all  sin  first  of  all  ofi:'ends  God.  Because 
he  is  not  only  righteousness,  but  also  the  love  of  righteousness ; 
and  all  who  love  righteousness  receive  it  from  him.  If  it 
did  not  ofifend  God,  it  would  not  be  sin. 

But  he  moreover  orders  his  words  thus,  that  we  may  learn 
for  our  consolation  and  exhortation,  that  we  never  suffer  any 
injury,  but  what  offends  God  first,  and  more  than  it  does  us; 
and  that  such  is  the  care  of  God  our  Father  over  us,  that  he 
feels  every  injury  done  to  us  before  we  do,  and  levels  a  greater 
indignation  against  it.  This  David  holds  forth  to  us,  that  we 
may  keep  ourselves  from  all  feeling  of  revenge ;  nay,  that  we 
may  rather  pity  those  whom  we  see  rushing,  on  our  account, 
upon  such  majesty,  unto  their  own  perdition ;  while  they  not 
only  do  not  in  the  least  injure  us,  but  merely  horribly  destroy 
themselves.  For  God  saith,  "he  that  toucheth  you  toucheth 
tlie  apple  of  his  eye,"  Zech.  2  :8. 

Hence  the  prophet,  sympathetically  grieving  from  his  heart, 
as  it  were,  at  their  rashness,  first  begins  in  an  interrogative 
form,  asking  why  they  raged?  why  they  made  themselves  a 
derision?  why,  like  fools,  they  attempted  impossibilities.  O 
that  they  would  be  wise  and  understand !    And  then,  fn  a  way 


62  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

of  exhortation,  he  admonishes  them  that  they  should  attempt 
soHd  things  instead  of  vain,  that  is,  that  they  should  rather 
receive  instruction  and  understanding,  and  be  brought  to  serve 
Christ  in  fear. 

Moreover,  by  the  very  tenderness  of  his  words,  he  sufficient- 
ly extenuates  their  vanity  and  fruitless  attempts,  saying  they 
'raged,'  'meditated,'  'stood  up,'  and  'took  counsel  together.'  As 
if  he  had  said,  ye  may  rage  but  ye  cannot  destroy ;  ye  may 
meditate,  and  talk,  and  prate  much,  but  ye  will  effect  nothing. 
Let  your  kings  decree,  but  it  shall  not  come  to  pass ;  let  your 
rulers  take  counsel,  but  it  shall  come  to  naught.  What  there- 
fore is  left  you  but  that  in  vain  ye  wish  to  accomplish  many 
things,  that  ye  attempt  mighty  things,  and  try  every  means, 
and  at  last  see  nothing  accomplished,  but  every  thing  turns 
out  just  contrary  to  your  wishes? 

Thus  God  will  permit  ragings,  counsels,  and  atempts,  to 
be  stirred  up  by  the  ungodly  against  the  godly.  But  all  these 
are  like  the  swelling  waves  of  the  sea,  which  swell  and  rush 
toward  the  shore,  as  if  they  would  utterly  overwhelm  it ;  but, 
beiore  they  reach  the  shore,  they  sink  into  themselves  and 
vanish,  or  are  dashed  on  the  shore  with  a  vain  and  empty  noise. 
For  the  righteous  r-'an,  like  the  shore,  being  firmly  established 
in  the  faith  of  Christ,  confidently  contemns  all  these  unavail- 
ing threats,  and  these  swellings  that  will  soon  sink  into  naught ; 
for  he  knov/s  that  Moab  is  exalted  in  pride  and  that  his  pre- 
sumption is  greater  than  his  strength,  and  his  indignation  than 
his  power,  as  Is.  i6:6,  and  Jer.  48  128,  etc.  teach 

And  by  this  cross  the  ungodly  are  tortured  according  to 
their  deserts,  for  it  is  a  dreadful  torment  to  wish  to  hurt  all  and 
to  be  able  to  hurt  none.  And  hence,  the  heathen  have  said 
concerning  envy, 

Sicilian  tyrants  never  could  invent 
A  torment,  like  an  envy-bitten  heart ! 

And  this  has  so  much  the  more  wonderful  effect  in  Christ- 
ian matters;  because,  the  ungodly    not    only    are    tormented 


PSALM   II.  63 

and  cannot  hurt  any  one,  but,  in  the  counsel  of  God,  are 
compelled  by  this  their  nature  and  their  vain  contrivances  to 
promote,  more  than  any  thing  else  does,  that  which  they  at- 
tempt to  hinder ;  so  that  his  friends  cannot  profit  a  Christian 
so  much  as  his  enemies  do. 

V.  3.  —  Let  us  break  their  bonds  (bands)  asunder,  and 
east  a-cvay  their  cords  (yoke)froni  us. 

These  words  ought  to  be  connected  with  the  preceding, 
they  'raged,'  'meditated,'  'stood  up,  etc ;'  but  the  sense  may  be, 
they  raged  and  roared,  they  meditated  this,  they  decreed  this, 
they  concluded  this,  —  to  therefore  take  their  necks  from  under 
the  yoke  of  God  and  of  Christ,  to  break  their  bands  asunder, 
and  to  say,  "we  will  not  that  this  man  reign  over  us,"  Luke 
19:14;  or  Job  21:14-15,  "Depart  from  us,  for  we  desire  not 
the  knowledge  of  thy  ways.  What  is  the  Almighty  that  we 
should  serve  him?  and  what  profit  should  we  have,  if  we  pray 
unto  him?"  For  the  prophet  represents  the  wicked  as  thus 
speaking. 

Some  are  of  one  opinion  and  some  of  another ;  but  I  follow 
this  sense  of  the  passage.  And  therefore,  as  to  the  scruple 
that  stands  in  the  way  of  many  that  he  here  uses  the  plural 
number  "their;"  that  is  all  to  be  referred  to  the  Lord  and  to 
his  Anointed,  who  are  without  doubt  two  Persons,  the  sender 
and  the  sent.  As  if  he  had  said,  they  rejected  both  the  mes- 
senger and  the  king,  and  would  not  receive  their  counsels. 

And  that  by  "bonds"  and  "yoke"  are  metaphorically  or 
allegorically  signified  the  divine  commandments,  Jeremiah 
proves  in  this  passage,  "Then  I  said,  surely  these  are  poor ; 
they  are  foolish ;  for  they  know  not  the  way  of  Jehovah  nor 
the  law  of  their  God.  I  will  get  me  unto  the  great  men,  and 
will  sneak  unto  them ;  for  they  know  the  way  of  Jehovah,  and 
the  justice  of  their  God:  but  these,  with  one  accord,  have 
broken  the  yoke  and  burst  the  bonds."  Jer.  5  :4-5.  And  again, 
"For  of  old  time  thou  hast  broken  my  yoke  and  burst  my 
bands,"  Jer.  2  :20.     Though  this  passage  is  corrupted ;  for  in 


64  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

the  Hebrew  it  is  God  that  speaks  in  the  first  person,  "For  of 
old  time  I  have  broken  thy  yoke,  and  burst  thy  bonds :"  that 
the  one  bond  may  be  represented  as  being  contrary  to  the 
other,  the  one  yoke  to  the  other,  the  way  of  God  to  the  way 
of  man,  and  the  judgment  of  God  to  the  judgment  of  man. 

These  "bonds"  are  the  commandments  of  Christ,  by  which 
we  are  taught  how  to  walk  in  his  way.  And  this  'yoke'  or  these 
'cords'  are  his  judgments,  by  which  we  are  prohibited  from 
doing  evil.  The  former  is  the  justification  of  the  spirit,  the 
latter  the  mortification  of  the  flesh.  For  there  are  two  things 
commanded :  to  depart  from  the  evil,  and  to  do  good.  The 
former  of  which  pertains  unto  mortifying  the  desires  of  the 
ilesh,  the  latter  unto  doing  good  works.  Nor  does  it  make 
any  difference  if  these  be  transposed,  and  'bonds'  be  received 
as  signifying  the  judgments,  and  'yoke'  as  signifying  right- 
eousness ;  for  the  sense  remains  the  same,  and  when  that  is  held 
firmly,  all  contention  about  words  is  to  be  despised. 

The  whole  verse  then  is  allegorical.  For  by  breaking  is 
signified  despising  and  making  of  none  effect,  by  bonds  is  signi- 
fied commandments,  by  casting  away,  not  obeying,  by  disre- 
garding, not  receiving,  and  by  yoke  is  signified  instruction  and 
the  descipline  of  mortifying  the  flesh.  But  when  I  say  allegor- 
ical I  do  not  mean,  as  our  moderns  use  that  term,  that  another 
and  a  historical  sense  is  so  sought  in  the  passage,  contrary  to 
V  hat  it  really  means ;  but,  that  its  true  and  proper  signification 
is  expressed  in  a  figurative  way. 

For  always  note,  that  to  the  perverse  all  things  are  per- 
verse, as  it  is  written,  "with  the  perverse  thou  wilt  show  thy- 
self froward,"  Ps.  18:26.  Thus  they  call  the  law  of  Christ, 
which  is  the  law  of  liberty  and  sweetness,  "bands"  and  a 
"yoke,"  signifying  thereby  that  it  is  a  bondage  and  state  of 
labour  and  difficulty,  but,  on  the  other  hand  they  believe  their 
law,  which  is  in  truth  a  bondage  and  state  of  labour  ,  to  be 
liberty  and  sweetness.  Hence,  to  the  ungodly  all  things  work 
together  for  evil ;  and  therefore  it  is  said,  Jer.  23  :38,  "But  if 


PSALM   II.  •  65 

ye  say  the  burden  of  Jehovah ;  therefore  thus  saith  Jehovah : 
Because  ye  say  this  word,  The  burden  of  Jehovah,  and  I  have 
sent  unto  you,  saying,  Ye  shall  not  say,  The  burden  of  Jehovah. 
Therefore,  behold,  I  will  utterly  forget  you,  and  I  will  cast 
you  off :  and  I  will  bring  an  everlasting  reproach  upon  you 
and  a  perpetual  shame  which  shall  not  be  forgotten,  etc. !"  For 
it  must  of  necessity  be  that  he  who  is  pleased  with  the  things 
of  himself  is  not  pleased  with  the  things  of  God. 

And  here  again  there  is  need  of  the  eyes  of  faith,  for  when 
David  says  these  things  he  does  not  intend  to  say  that  these 
ungodly  men  really  meant  the  Lord  and  his  Anointed  when 
they  said,  "Let  us  break  their  bands  asunder,  and  cast  away 
their  cords  from  us  ;"  because,  in  rejecting  Christ,  they  believed 
that  they  were  acting  for  the  glory  of  God  and  of  his  law. 
But  the  prophet  who  says,  "the  Lord  and  his  Anointed"  is 
describing  that  Lord  and  his  x^nointed  as  rejected  by  them 
while  they  were  ignorant  of  what  they  were  doing.  Observe 
therefore,  whether  he  does  not  use  an  allegory  throughout  the 
whole  verse,  in  order  to  show  that  they  pretended  one  thing 
and  did  another,  and,  in  their  blindness,  exhibited  a  certain 
allegory  in  their  conduct,  rejecting  the  Lord  and  his  Anointed 
at  the  very  time  that  they  pretended  most  of  all  to  act  for 
their  glory. 

We  may  conclude,  that  David  made  use  of  the  pronoun 
"their"  in  this  passage  in  order  that  he  may  both  meditate  on, 
and  understand,  the  Lord  and  his  Anointed  within  himself,  and 
also  at  the  same  time  set  forth  their  open  contempt  of  the 
Anointed  in  not  considering  him  worthy  of  that  name,  much 
less  acknowledging  him  to  be  both  Lord  and  Christ. 

Thus  far,  therefore,  has  the  prophet  been  describing  the 
attempts  of  the  ungodly  in  refusing  to  have  liiui  appointed 
king  whom  God  had  already  set  up ;  wherein  they  plotted  not 
only  against  Christ,  but  much  more  against  the  appointment 
of  God.  Which  same  thing  was  exemplified  in  the  case  of 
David  and  Saul ;  for  David  was  anointed  king  by  the  divine 


66  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

command,  hut  Saul  resisted  both  God  and  David  in  this  appoint- 
ment with  the  most  determined  obstinac3^  And  indeed  he 
raged,  meditated  many  things,  decreed  niany  things,  and  often 
took  counsels  against  him  just  in  the  same  way.  But  as  all 
his  presumptive  attempts  were  vain,  so  were  also  all  those 
of  the  Jews  and  gentiles  against  Christ.     It  now  follows ; 

V.  4.  —  ''He  that  sittcth  in  the  heavens  will  laugh  (at 
them) ;  the  Lord  shall  have  them  in  derision." 

This  tautology  or  repetition  of  the  same  thing,  which  is 
frequent  in  the  scriptures,  is  a  sign  of  the  thing  being  establish- 
ed ;  according  to  the  authority  of  the  patriarch  Joseph,  Gen. 
41  :32,  where,  having  interpreted  the  dreams  of  Pharaoh,  he 
said,  "and  for  that  the  dream  was  doubled  unto  Pharaoh,  it 
is  because  the  thing  is  established  by  God,  and  God  will  shortly 
bring  it  to  pass."  And  therefore,  here  also,  "shall  laugh  at 
them"  and  "shall  have  them  in  derision"  are  a  repetition,  to 
show  that  there  is  not  a  doubt  to  be  entertained  that  all  these 
things  will  most  surely  come  to  pass. 

The  gracious  Spirit  does  all  this  for  our  comfort  and  con- 
solation, that  we  may  not  faint  under  temptation,  but  lift  up 
otir  heads  with  the  most  certain  hope,  because  "he  that  shall 
come  will  come  and  will  not  tarry,"  Heb.  10:37.    Wherefore, 
although  in  all  human  modes  of  expression  tautology  is  a  de- 
fect and  deemed  superfluous,  yet,  in  the  things  of  God  it  is 
most  highly  necessary ;  because,  "hope  deferred,"  as  the  wise 
man  saith,  "maketh  the  heart  sick,"  Prov.  13  :i2,  that  true  hope, 
I  mean,  which  labors  under  sufferings  and  the  cross ;  for  all 
delay  is  tolerable  to  those  who  are  laboring  in  the  sufferings 
of  Christ.     Therefore,  they  have  need  of  the  all-firm  and  all- 
sure  promise  of  God  to  support  them. 

And  as,  on  the  one  hand,  consolation  cannot  be  sufficiently 
pressed  upon  the  afflicted  from  the  promises  of  good  things, 
so,  on  the  other,  terror  cannot  be  sufficiently  thundered  against 
the  insensible,  the  hardened,  and  the  unbelieving,  from  the 
threatenings  of  evil  things.     Therefore,  in  these  things  there 


PSALM   II.  67 

is  need  of  tautology,  that  the  ungodly  may  be  hurled  into  terror 
by  sure  and  certain  denunciations.  For  as  the  former  have 
always  too  much  fear  and  too  little  hope  and  confidence,  so 
the  latter  have  always  too  much  security  and  hope  without  any 
fear;  as  it  is  written,  Ps.  36:1,  "There  is  no  fear  of  God  before 
their  eyes."  Hence  the  latter  want  the  fear  of  God,  but  the 
former  want  a  hope  in  his  mercy ;  that  thus,  the  middle  and 
right  way  may  be  preserved  which  is  thus  described,  "Jehovah 
taketh  pleasure  in  them  that  fear  him,  in  those  that  hope  in 
his  loving  kindness,"  Ps.  147:11. 

These  things,  therefore,  are  written  for  our  sakes,  "that 
through  patience  and  through  comfort  of  the  scriptures  we 
might  have  hope,"  Rom.  15:4.  For  wh'at  is  here  written  with 
reference  to  Christ  is  applicable  to  all  Christians,  for  whoever 
sincerely  desires  to  be  a  Christian,  especially  if  he  teaches  the 
word  of  Christ,  will  bear  with  his  Herods,  his  Pilates,  his 
rulers,  his  kings,  his  people,  and  his  heathen,  who  rage  against 
him,  meditate  vain  things,  rise  up,  and  take  counsel  together, 
against  him.  For  if  these  things  are  not  done  by  men,  they 
will  be  done  by  devils,  or  at  least  by  men's  own  consciences, 
and  certainly  in  the  hour  of  death  ;  and  then  there  is  need  of  our 
remembering  this  and  the  like  consolations,  "He  that  dwelleth 
in  the  heavens  shall  laugh  at  them ;  the  Lord  shall  have  them 
in  derision,"  and  of  standing  firmly  in  this  hope  and  being 
moved  by  no  circumstances  whatever. 

And,  that  the  confidence  of  the  afflicted  may  be  the  more 
firm,  he  emphatically  saith,  "shall  laugh  at  them"  and  'shall 
have  them  in  derision."  As  if  he  had  said,  so  certain  is  it 
that  they  attempt  vain  things,  although  those  things  may  appear 
to  all  human  sense  to  be  the  most  firmly  established  that  the 
Lord  will  not  deign  to  resist  them  as  in  any  great  and  serious 
matter,  but,  as  in  a  trifling  matter  and  a  thing  of  naught,  he 
will  "laugh  at  them"  and  "have  them  in  derision."  As  it  is 
written  also,  Ps.  37:12-13,  "The  wicked  plotteth  against  the 
just,  and  gnasheth  upon  him  with  his  teeth.     The  Lord  will 


Ob  LUTHEE  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

laugh  at  him ;  for  he  seeth  that  his  day  is  coming."  And  it 
goes  on  to  say  that  our  adversaries  are  not  only  to  be  cut  down 
but  to  be  held  in  derision. 

O  what  a  power  of  faith  is  required  in  all  these  words ! 
For  who  would  have  thought,  while  Christ  was  sufit'ering  and 
the  Jews  triumphing,  tliat  God  was  laughing  at  them  all  the 
while!  And  so  also,  while  we  are  oppressed,  how  shall  we 
believe  that  God  is  holding  our  adversaries  in  derision,  when  it 
seems  to  ourselves  that  we  are  held  in  derision  both  by  God 
and  men? 

But,  as  I  have  said,  this  derision  is  divine.  For  God  made 
the  Christ-murdering  Jews  and  Gentiles  a  derision  to  the  whole 
world  by  raising  Christ  from  the  dead  and  making,  out  of  his 
despairing  kingdom  among  that  one  people,  a  kingdom  that 
shall  flourish  eternally  over  all  creatures,  thus  turning  all  their 
endeavours  into  an  event  the  directly  contrary  of  what  they 
expected;  so  that  we  can  sing,  Ps.  113:4,  "J^^ovah  is  high 
above  all  nations,  and  his  glory  above  the  heavens ;"  and  yet, 
that  same  God  was  humbled  under  all  the  Jews  and  his  ignom- 
iny went  even  under  the  earth.  Therefore,  as  in  the  preceding 
verses  the  passion  and  death  of  Christ  are  prophesied,  so  in  this 
verse  his  resurrection  is  predicted,  though  by  a  somewhat  ob- 
scure allusion. 

But  what  is  the  intent  of  these  words  "He  that  sitteth  in 
the  heavens  ?"  It  sets  forth  the  quiet  and  wonderfully  hidden 
Judge  for  the  raising  of  our  hope.  He  sitteth  in  the  heaven, 
who  is  concerned  for  us.  He  sitteth  there  in  quiet  and  safety. 
Though  we  are  distressed  he  is  not  distressed  whose  care  we 
are.  We  are  tossed  to  and  fro,  but  he  sits  unmoved  that  the 
righteous  may  not  be  tossed  to  and  fro  for  ever.  Ps.  55  :23. 

But  his  sitting  in  heaven  is  so  secret  and  hidden,  that  unless 
tliou  be  in  heaven  thou  canst  not  know  and  understand  it. 
Thou  art  suffering  upon  earth,  in  waters,  and  under  all  creat- 
ures, and  the  hope  of  help  is  denied  thee  by  all  and  in  all  things, 
until,  rising  by  faith  and  hope  above  all  these  things,  thou 


PSALM   II.  69 

mountest  up  to  reach  unto  him  that  sitteth  in  the  heavens ;  and 
then  thou  also  sittest  in  the  heavens,  hut  in  faith  and  hope. 
Here  therefore  it  is,  that  the  anchor  of  our  heart  is  to  be  cast 
in  all  tribulations,  and  in  this  way  all  the  evils  of  the  world 
will  not  only  be  made  easy  to  be  borne,  but  will  become  a 
derision. 

V.  5.  —  Then  zuill  he  speak  unto  them  in  his  zvrath,  and 
vex  them  in  his  sore  displeasure; 

That  which  has  been  said  concerning  tautology  in  the  pre- 
ceding verse  holds  good  also  in  this.  For  to  the  insensible  and 
haters  and  despisers  of  God,  enough  that  is  terrible  cannot  be 
said.  For  that  Leviathan,  Behemoth,  describer  in  Job  41  :i7-i9, 
'esteemeth  iron  as  straw,  darts  as  stubble,  and  brass  as  rotten 
wood.  The  arrow  cannot  make  him  flee,  sling-stones  are  turned 
by  him  into  stubble,'  etc.  Though  this  perhaps  may  not  be 
considered  as  tautology. 

When  then  does  he  "speak  to  them  in  his  anger?"  or  what 
is  his  anger?  It  is  then,  when  he  has  them  in  derision.  This 
we  shall  see  when  we  inquire  from  the  scriptures  what  it  is 
for  God  to  speak  in  his  anger.  Jeremiah  saith,  chap.  18:7,  T 
will  speak  suddenly  against  a  nation  and  against  a  kingdom, 
to  pluck  up,  and  to  pull  down,  and  to  destroy  it,'  etc. 

Therefore,  "to  speak  in  anger"  is  to  root  up  and  to  destroy ; 
and  this  is  what  came  upon  the  Jews,  who  said,  "the  Romans 
will  come  and  take  away  both  our  place  and  our  nation.  It 
is  expedient  for  you  that  one  man  should  die  for  the  people, 
and  that  the  whole  nation  perish  not,"  John  1 1  148-50.  All 
these  vain  meditations  the  Lord  had  in  derision,  until  that  which 
the  wicked  feared  came  upon  them ;  for  the  Lord  rooted  up, 
pulled  down,  and  destroyed  them  by  the  Romans.  This  "anger" 
and  "hot  displeasure"  of  God,  therefore,  are  the  fury  of  the 
Romans.  Hence,  Is.  10:5-6,  "Ho  Assyrian,  the  rod  of  mine 
anger,  the  staff  in  whose  hand  is  mine  indignation.  I  will  send 
him  against  a  profane,  that  is,  an  hypocritical  and  dissembling 
nation,  and  against  the  people  of  my  wrath  will  I  give  him  a 


70  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

charge,"  etc.  Which  words,  according  to  my  judgment,  are 
spoken  of  the  Roman  army.  For  when  he  saith  "I  will  give 
him  a  charge,"  it  is  the  same  as  is  said  in  this  verse,  "shall  speak 
unto  them;"  because  all  things  are  done  by  the  command  and 
Word  of  God,  as  it  is  written,  ''He  spake  and  it  was  done," 
etc.  Ps,  33  :g. 

Wherefore,  these  words  "shall  speak"  are  to  be  taken  ab- 
solutely in  this  way :  He  shall  speak,  that  is,  he  shall  decree, 
command,  and  ordain  by  his  word ;  but  it  shall  be  against  them, 
and  not  in  their  favor;  and  therefore,  not  in  mercy  but  in 
wrath.  For  he  speaks  also  against  the  righteous  and  his  own 
children,  when  he  commands  the  cross  and  death  to  be  brought 
upon  them,  according  to  that  of  2  Sam.  16:10,  "Jehovah  hath 
said  unto  him,  curse  David,"  but  in  mercy.  And  if  the  preposi- 
tion 'unto'  be  changed  into  'against,'  and  the  verb  'speak'  into 
'command,'  the  text  will  be  more  clear,  —  "Then  shall  he  com- 
mand against  them  in  his  anger." 

Nor  will  he  only  pull  down  and  destroy  them,  he  will  also 
distress  them;  for  he  shall  consume  them  outwardly  by  arms 
and  inwardly  by  dread.  And  indeed  he  distresses  his  own 
children  also  and  terrifies  them  with  alarming  fears ;  as  was 
the  case  with  Christ  in  the  garden.  But  he  distressed  the  Jews 
while  they  were  in  the  act  of  being  destroyed  and  slaughtered 
by  the  Romans,  with  a  perpetually  foreboding  dread.  For  it  is 
impossible  that  the  ungodly  man,  when  drawing  near  unto 
death,  should  not  be  under  unceasing  dread  and  apprehension. 
It  would  have  been  a  light  punishment  if  they  had  been  des- 
stroyed  only,  but  their  having  been  destroyed  in  anger  was  that 
which  increased  the  horror  of  their  calamity ;  and,  what  was 
the  most  awful  of  all,  after  having  been  destroyed  and  slaught- 
ered, they  were  destined  to  be  punished  in  wrath  and  to  be 
launched  through  death  into  eternal  horrors. 

Behold,  therefore,  what  a  catalogue'''  of  dreadful  punish- 


*Weimar.     catalogium  for  catalogum. 


PSALM   II.  71 

ments  are  prepared  for  the  murderers  of  Christ.  First,  being 
stripped  of  all  their  glory,  in  the  pride  of  which  chiefly  they 
raged  against  Christ,  they  are  made  a  derision  to  God  and  to 
all  men,  and  see  themselves  surrounded  by  ignominious  shame 
on  every  side,  which  is  no  small  calamity  to  proud  and  envious 
men.  Secondly,  deprived  of  every  thing  that  could  afford  them 
any  help,  they  are  laid  waste,  rooted  out,  and  destroyed ;  so  that 
they  have  not,  even  with  respect  to  their  bodies,  the  least  degree 
of  comfort.  And  lastly,  the  sum  of  all  their  calamities  is  that 
tribulation  and  anguish  will  torture  their  souls  to  all  eternity. 

Thus,  they  are  utterly  destroyed  in  their  fame,  in  their 
bodies,  and  in  things  eternal ;  and  there  is  not  one  creature,  nor 
God  himself,  propitious  toward  them.  Here  then,  I  ask,  who 
would  not  pity  his  enemies  ,who  would  not  lament  for  them, 
who  would  not  endure  all  things  for  them,  and  even  from  them, 
when  he  firmly  believed  that  all  these  intolerable  evils  hung  over 
their  heads  ?    For  only  observe  the  order  of  these  evils. 

First,  they  are  laughed  at  and  held  in  derision,  while  all 
their  glory  is  turned  into  the  deepest  confusion,  which  is  the 
greatest  thing  they  possess.  Secondly,  they  are  destroyed  and 
deprived  of  all  their  property  and  patrimony,  which  is  another 
possession.  Finally  they  are  terrified  with  dreadful  apprehen- 
sions, all  hope  and  confidence  of  spirit  being  taken  away,  which 
is  their  inward  and  last  possession.  And  these  are  they  who 
are  made  like  dust  before  the  wind.  And  again  you  see  that 
the  punishment  of  the  wicked  is  here  described  as  being  fear 
and  horror.  For  as  the  kingdom  of  God  is  righteousness,  peace, 
and  safety,  so,  of  necessity,  hell  must  be  sin,  dread,  and  horror. 

V.6,  Yet  I  have  set  my  king  upon  my  holy  liill  of  Zion. 
Rev.  Ver. 

V.  6.  —  Yet  am  I  set  by  him  as  king  iipon  his  holy  hill  of 
Zion  (Viilgate). 

Here  the  person  is  changed,  for  it  is  not  David  now  speak- 
ing in  his  own  person,  but  it  is  Christ  that  speaks.  The  Hebrew, 
however,  rather  makes  it  to  be  the  Person  of  the  Father  speak- 


']2  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

ing  and  saying,  "Yet  have  I  set  my  king  upon  my  holy  hill  of 
Zion."  But  I  do  not  think  this  a  matter  of  so  much  moment 
that  there  should  be  any  contention  or  dispute  about  it,  because 
each  sense  is  equally  good,  except  that  the  Hebrew  text,  by  a 
figure  of  speech  very  usual  in  the  scriptures,  rather  favors 
that  reading  which  gives  the  authority  to  the  Father,  according 
to  that  of  Ps.  iio:i,  "Jehovah  saith  unto  my  Lord,  Sit  thou  at 
my  right  hand,"  and  that  of  Ps. 89 127,  "I  also  will  make  him 
my  first-born,  the  highest  of  the  kings  of  the  earth,"  Stapulen- 
sis  thinks  that  it  may  be  rendered  "But  I  have  anointed  my 
king,"  resting  upon  those  words  of  the  believers.  Acts  4 127, 
where  they  say,  'Against  thy  holy  Servant  Jesus,  whom  thou 
didst  anoint  were  they  gathered  together.'  But  those  believers 
seem  to  have  taken  the  word  "hast  anointed,"  not  from  the 
present  verse,  but  rather  from  the  second,  for  citing  that,  they 
had  said  just  before  'against  his  Christ,'  ver.  26,  which  is  the 
same  as  saying  against  his  anointed,  and  which,  from  a  holy 
desire  to  confirm  the  truth,  they  repeat  in  verse  27.  As  if  they 
would  say,  most  truly  he  is  Christ,  and  the  Anointed,  whom 
thou  hast  anointed,  that  is,  whom  thou  has  made  Christ. 

According  to  my  poor  way  of  judging,  I  think  that  "my 
holy,"  if  the  Hebrew  did  not  counsel  us  to  couple  it  with  Zion, 
does  not  inappropriately  apply  to  Christ ;  so  that  the  sense  may 
be,  "I  have  set  my  king  upon  my  hill  of  Zion,"  not  an  indiffer- 
ent person,  but  him  who  is  my  "holy  one"  anointed  of  me  by 
the  "Holy  One  of  God,"  and,  the  Holy  One  of  Israel,  as  in  Ps. 
x6:io,  "Neither  wilt  thou  sufifer  thine  Holy  One  to  see  corrup- 
tion." And  Ps.  89  :i8,  "For  our  shield  belongeth  unto  Jehovah  ; 
and  our  king  to  the  Holy  One  of  Israel."  But  the  Hebrew, 
as  I  have  said,  has  it  "my  holy  mountain." 

The  meaning  of  the  passage  therefore  is.  They  have  gather- 
ed themselves  together  against  me  and  my  King,  and  would  not 
that  he  should  reign  over  them.  But  my  counsel  shall  stand 
and  I  will  perform  all  my  pleasure.  Who  is  able  to  stand  be- 
fore me  ?    They  have  killed  him,  but  I  have  set  him  up  as  King ! 


PSALM   11.  l^'  I  73 

They  have  withdrawn  themselves  from  under  him,  but  I  have 
placed  my  holy  hill  of  Zion  and  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth 
in  subjection  to  him!  Thus,  they  are  laughed  at  and  held  in 
derision,  and  openly  shown  to  have  meditated  vain  things ! 

This  verse  strikes  at  the  general  doctrine  of  pride  and  arro- 
gance, than  which  nothing  more  insolently  prevails  at  this  time 
in  the  church  of  Christ.  For  Paul  thus  applies  this  text,  Heb. 
5  :4-5,  "And  no  man  taketh  the  honor  unto  himself  but  when 
he  is  called  of  God  even  as  was  Aaron."  So  Christ  also  glorified 
not  himself  to  be  made  a  high-priest,  but  he  that  spake  unto 
him,  "Thou  art  my  Son,  this  day  have  I  begotten  thee."  And 
again,  Ps.  iio:i,  "Sit  thou  on  my  right  hand."  And  this  is 
wiiat  nearly  the  whole  of  this  present  Psalm  inculcates ;  which 
describes  all  the  things  of  Christ  as  ordained  of  the  Father, 
and  not  arrogantly  assumed  or  courted  by  Christ.  Whereas, 
our  decrees  have  now  for  many  years  scarcely  been  employed 
about  any  thing  else  but  dignity,  power,  privileges,  and  a  great 
and  stinking  filth  of  ambition,  without  any  appointing  or  or- 
daining from  God. 

The  church  of  Christ  is  called  "Mount  Zion,"  because  it 
was  there  begun  and  instituted  by  the  sending  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  And  although  it  is  confined  to  no  particular  place,  yet 
it  was  necessary  that  it  should  have  a  beginning  from  some 
certain  place.  And  from  thence  it  was  spread  throughout  all 
the  earth,  that  the  words  of  Christ,  John  4  :2,  might  be  ful- 
filled, "The  hour  cometh  when  ye  shall  neither  in  this  moun- 
tain nor  yet  at  Jerusalem  worship  the  Father."  Thus  new, 
the  church  has  every  place  and  yet  no  place. 

And,  under  the  influence  and  teaching  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
such  a  modesty  was  preserved  by  the  Jerusalem  church,  that 
it  never  contended  with  other  churches  for  precedence  and 
dignity,  as  the  Roman  and  Constantinopolitan  churches  did, 
in  a  long  and  scandalous  warfare;  whereas,  if  precedency  be 
considered,  this  church  ought  to  have  been  preferred  by  all 
right  to  every  other,  both  because  Christ  was  its  high  priest  and 


74  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

appointed  King  by  God  the  Father,  and  because  the  true  church 
rose  there,  from  which  all  other  churches  sprung,  which  is  the 
mother  of  all  others,  and  in  which  all  the  apostles  and  desciples, 
the  elders  as  it  were,  were  born.  But  God  would  not  permit 
her  to  arrogate  to  herself  any  supremacy,  that  he  might  show 
us  how  he  reprobated  such  arrogance,  and  how  he  forbade  such 
to  be  assumed  by  any  church  whatever,  even  by  his  own  to 
whom  it  was  due. 

This  I  say  not  that  I  would  condemn  the  supreme  dominion 
(monarchiam)  of  the  Romish  church,  but  because  I  detest  that 
it  should  ride  with  force  and  oppression  and  that  it  should  usurp 
its  authority  by  virtue  of  the  command  of  God,  when  it  is 
established  by  the  mutual  agreement  of  the  believer  and  by 
the  bond  of  love,  so  that  it  is  a  dominion  not  of  a  commanding 
force  but  of  serving  love.  This  arrogance  I  reject,  the  thing 
itself  I  commend.  Gold  is  not  evil  but  avarice  is.  The  flesh 
is  not  evil  but.  the  lust  of  the  flesh  is.  And  here  has  Christ 
rendered  vigilant  resistance  since  he  never  suffered  that  the 
churches  of  the  orient  should  be  subject  to  this  church  of  the 
Occident. 

Therefore  the  church  is  called  Mount  Zion  by  the  figure 
of  speech  most  common  in  the  scriptures,  synecdoche,  which 
speaks  of  the  containing  for  the  contained,  as,  the  city  of  Jeru- 
salem for  the  people  of  that  city.  Nor  is  it  so  called  on  that 
account  only,  but  also  as  conveying  an  allegory  in  its  name, 
nature,  and  form. 

The  naine  Zion  signifies  'a  distant  view'  (spcculam),  a 
watch  tower  or  observatory.  And  the  church  is  called  'a  distant 
view'  (specula),  not  only  because  it  views  God  and  heavenly 
things  by  faith,  that  is,  afar  off,  being  wise  unto  the  things  that 
are  above,  not  unto  those  that  are  on  the  earth  ;  but  also,  because 
there  are  within  her  true  viewers,  or  seers,  and  watchmen  in 
the  spirit,  whose  office  it  is  to  take  charge  of  the  people  under 
them,  and  to  watch  against  the  snares  of  enemies  and  sins ;  and 
such  are  called,  in  the  Greek,  bishops  {episcopoi),  that  is,  spy- 


PSALM   II.  75 

ers  or  seers ;  and  you  may  for  the  same  reason  give  them,  from 
the  Hebrew,  the  appellation  of  Zionians  or  Zioners. 

The  nature  of  Zion  is  that  it  is  a  mountain.  So  also  is 
the  church  before  God  lofty  in  spiritual  height,  on  account  of 
the  greatness  of  her  virtues,  gifts,  graces,  acts,  etc.  wherein 
God  has  highly  exalted  her  above  all  the  power,  wisdom,  and 
righteousness  of  men;  according  to  Is.  2:2  and  Mic.  4:1,  "And 
it  shall  come  to  pass  in  the  latter  days,  that  the  mountain  of 
Jehovah's  house  shall  be  established  on  the  top  of  the  moun- 
tains, and  shall  be  exalted  above  the  hills."  All  this  I  am  ob- 
liged to  interpret  again  and  again  on  account  of  those  carnal 
dreamers,  who  are  always  twisting  the  words  of  God  to  favour 
worldly  pomp.  But  the  church  is  exajted  above  all  the  power 
and  height  of  the  world,  not  in  riches  and  influence,  but  in  faith, 
hope,  love,  and  all  those  virtues  that  despise  the  riches  and 
power  of  the  world.  For  though  the  church  is  now  exalted 
in  all  this  worldly  wealth  and  power,  i-t  does  not  properly  be- 
long to  it,  but  is  a  certain  strange  Leviathan  that  has  intruded; 
and  therefore,  it  has  in  the  same  proportion  decreased  in  the 
wisdom  of  the  word  of  God,  in  holiness  of  life,  and  in  the  virtue 
of  works,  etc. ;  for  these  are  the  true  hills  and  mountains  of  the 
church  of  Christ,  in  which  the  world  cannot  rival  her,  and  in 
which  she  has  ever  surpassed  the  world  if  she  who  does  such 
things  may  be  called  the  church,  for  it  is  certain  that  the  true 
church  of  Christ  ever  remains  the  same. 

Again,  the  form  of  Mount  Zion  was  this.  It  rose  into 
a  summit  on  the  south  and  had  the  city  of  Jerusalem  on  its 
declivity  on  the  north  side,  the  city  itself  being  situated  on  the 
side  of  the  hill.  Thus  Ps.  48  :2,  "Beautiful  in  elevation,  the  joy 
of  the  whole  earth,  is  Mount  Zion,  on  the  sides  of  the  north, 
the  city  of  the  great  King." 

Thus  the  declivity  and  acclivity  may  signify  the  internal 
warfare  of  the  people  of  Christ  between  the  flesh  and  the  spirit : 
the  flesh  tendeth  downward  to  the  north,  the  spirit  upward  to 
the  south.     Or,  it  may  represent  those  two  kinds  of  life,  the 


76  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

working  and  the  viewing.  The  one  tends  downward  to  an  em- 
ployment in  temporal  concerns  for  the  benefit  of  others ;  the 
other  ascends  upwards  unto  heavenly  things,  and  is  always  on 
the  hill  of  view,  where  the  bishops  or  seers  are,  who  excel  in 
the  word  and  in  life,  and  who  drav/  others  unto  them.  In  the 
midst  of  whom  stands  Mount  Moriah,  the  Mount  of  the  temple, 
and  that  is  Christ,  both  God  and  Man,  who  embraces  both  these 
lives,  and  decrees  in  the  midst  of  both ;  even  as  Mount  Moriah, 
situated  in  the  midst  of  Jerusalem  under  Mount  Zion,  repre- 
sents in  a  figure. 

For  this  Mount  Moriah,  that  is,  the  Mount  of  Vision,  is  that 
on  which  Abraham  offered  up  his  son  and  on  which  afterward 
Solomon  built  the  temple.  And  thus  also,  we  are  offered  up 
on  Christ  like  Isaac,  and  are  built  up  by  the  true  Solomon  a 
temple  of  God.  For  Christ  is  our  Mount  Moriah ;  because  God 
sees  no  one,  and  acknowledges  no  one,  who  is  not  offered  up 
and  built  up  on  this  place,  that  is,  on  Christ,  and  in  Christ,  for 
the  eyes  of  God  are  on  this  place  only.  And  therefore,  he  is 
called  the  Mountain  on  which  God  will  look  for  ever,  Gen. 
22:14.  Whereas,  the  heretics  and  the  proud  raise  to  them- 
selves other  mountains  of  vision,  or  rather,  of  no  vision,  while 
they  wish  by  their  righteousness  and  works  to  merit  the  respect 
of  God. 

And  this  mountain  is  called  "holy,"  not  from  that  figurative 
holiness  of  the  law  and  external  consecrations,  for  these  things 
are  spoken  in  the  spirit.  And  therefore,  not  being  content  with 
saying  "holy  mountain,"  God  adds  "my."  As  if  he  had  said, 
the  mountain  which  is  holy  from  my  holiness ;  not  that  holi- 
ness by  which  the  stones,  wood,  and  coals  are  sanctified,  but 
by  which  the  mind  and  body  are  sanctified  through  the  unction 
of  the  grace  of  the  Spirit  and  purified  day  by  day  through  faith, 
hope  and  love.  For  that  is  "holy"  which  is  separated  from 
every  profane  use  and  dedicated  to  sacred  and  divine  uses  only. 
This  separation  is  made  ceremonially  and  literally  by  high- 


PSALM   II.  'J'J 

priests   who  are   men,   but   which,   in   truth   and   in   spirit,   is 
wrought  by  the  Holy  Ghost  being  shed  abroad  in  our  hearts. 

By  all  these  things  God  manifestly  distinguishes  the  king- 
dom of  Christ  from  every  other  kingdom.  For  it  is  concerning 
this  king  only  that  he  says,  "I  have  set,"  or  '*!  am  set."  And, 
as  the  person  speaking  is  the  invisible,  spiritual  God,  it  shows 
that  the  appointer  of  this  king  is  a  spiritual  appointer,  for  God 
appoints  all  other  kings  not  by  himself  as  here,  but  apoints  men 
by  the  instrumentality  of  men,  the  visible  by  the  instrumentality 
of  the  visible.  Therefore,  the  kingdom  of  Christ  is  not  of  this 
world,  but  in  spirit  and  in  truth.  And  he  says  also  "my  king, 
not  a  king  of  men,  or  whom  men  have  appointed.  Wherefore, 
Christ  is  a  king  in  spirit  and  before  God, 

And  moreover,  although  he  is  set  upon  the  hill  of  Zion, 
yet  to  "hill  of  Zion"  there  is  added  "my  holy,"  or  "his  holy," 
that  the  kingdom  of  Christ  may  be  understood  to  be  the  people 
indeed  of  Zion,  but  that  people  who  are  made  "holy"  by  a 
spiritual  holiness. 

Here  you  again  see,  that  the  church  of  Christ  does  not 
consist  in  the  power,  nor  in  the  wisdom,  nor  in  the  dignity  of 
the  world.  Though  there  are  some  who  pratingly  affirm,  that 
outside  of  this  new  monarchy  there  is  no  Christian.  Whereas 
the  power  of  such  a  monarchy  has  nothing  whatever  to  do  with 
spiritual  holiness. 

V.  7.  —  /  ivlll  tell  of  the  (declaring  Jiis)  decree,  Jehovah 
(the  Lord)  said  unto  me,  Thou  art  my  son,  this  day  Jiave  I 
begotten  thee. 

The  Hebrew  in  this  passage  begins  this  seventh  verse  thus, 
"I  will  declare  the  decree :  Jehovah  said  unto  me,"  all  which 
agrees,  and,  according  to  my  judgment,  is  intended  to  let  us 
know  porticularly  what  "decree"  it  is,  of  which  he  would  here 
be  understood  as  speaking,  and  which  he  says  he  will  declare. 
It  is  that  which  he  immediately  adds,  "Jehovah  hath  said  unto 
me,  thou  art  my  Son,"  etc.  This,  saith  he,  I  have  given  unto 
me  as  a  decree,  and  unto  this  I  am  appointed  King,  that  I  might 


78  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

declare  unto  all  that  I  am  the  Son  of  God  :  for  I  ought  to  glori- 
fy my  Father.  And  this  is  the  scope  of  the  whole  gospel,  that 
Christ  is  the  Son  of  God.  As  in  Matt.  16:15-16,  "Who  say  ye 
that  I  am?  And  Simon  Peter  answered  and  said,  thou  art  the 
Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God."  And  upon  this  rock  the 
church  is  built. 

Hence  Paul  saith,  i  Cor.  i  124,  'But  we  preach  Christ,  the 
power  of  God,  and  the  wisdom  of  God.'  And  Christ  himself 
throughout  the  whole  Gospel  of  John  does  nothing  else  than 
manifest  himself  to  be  the  Son  of  God,  always  speaking  of 
God  as  his  Father.  And  this  was  what  was  brought  against 
him  at  his  crucifixion  as  a  capital  crime.  For  Christ  came  to 
plant  and  establish  that  faith  w^hereby  men  believe  him  to  be 
the  Son  of  God.  And  this  faith  is  the  fulfilment  of  all  laws,  the 
righteousness  that  endureth  for  ever,  the  work  of  praising  God, 
the  mortification  of  the  flesh,  the  quickening  of  the  Spirit,  the 
victory  over  the  world,  the  victory  over  the  flesh,  and  the  vic- 
tory over  hell!  as  he  himself  saith,  Matt.  16:18,  "The  gates  of 
hell  shall  not  prevail  against  it."  And  so  also  John  8  124,  "Ex- 
cept ye  believe  that  I  am  he,  ye  shall  die  in  your  sins."  And 
again,  John  6:47,  "He  that  believeth  hath  eternal  life."*) 

Hence,  the  epistles  of  the  apostles  are  full  of  the  doctrine  of 
faith,  because  that  doctrine  is  eternal  life,  as  John  saith,  chap. 
3:36,  "He  that  believeth  on  the  Son,  hath  eternal  life:  but 
he  that  believeth  not  the  Son  shall  not  see  life,  but  the  wrath  of 
God  abideth  on  him."  And  again,  chap.  12:49-50,  Christ 
saiih,  "For  I  spake  not  from  myself;  but  the  Father  that  sent 
me,  he  hath  given  me  a  commandment,  what  I  should  say  and 
vvhat  I  should  speak.  And  I  know  that  his  commandment  is 
life  eternal,"  etc.  It  is  fully  manifest,  therefore,  that  he  de- 
clared the  commandment  of  God,  that  is,  faith  in  himself  as  the 
Son  of  God  unto  the  salvation  of  all  who  should  receive  him 
and  believe  on  his  name,  etc.  John  i  :i2. 

*)  St.  Louis  Walch  gives  John  11:26,     "Whosoever  liveth  and 
believeth   on  me  shall  never  die." 


PSALM   II.  79 

But  you  will  say,  if  this  was  the  design  of  the  holy  Spirit, 
why  did  he  not  make  use  of  plainer  words,  in  this  manner,  'I 
will  declare  the  command  of  God,  that  I  am  his  Son,  and  that 
this  day  he  has  begotten  me,'  etc.  I  answer :  The  Holy  Spirit 
is  ever  like  himself.  For  thus,  Christ,  throughout  the  Gospel 
of  John,  whenever  he  is  speaking  of  his  own  divinity,  always 
observes  to  bring  in  the  authority  of  the  Father,  and  to  refer 
unto  the  Father  all  that  he  himself  is.  "I  speak  not  from  my- 
self," John  14:10,  "My  teaching  is  not  mine,"  John  7:16,  "The 
Father  abiding  in  me  doeth  his  works,"  John  14:10.  Together 
Vv'ith  many  other  scriptures  of  the  same  kind. 

Thus  also  here,  when  he  says  that  he  will  declare,  by  the 
decree  of  the  Father,  that  he  is  the  Son  of  God,  he  first  intro- 
duces the  Father  as  speaking  unto  him,  in  order  that  we  may 
hear  more  the  Father  in  the  Son  speaking  of  the  Son,  than 
the  Son  speaking  of  himself.  So  that  the  sense  is,  T  will  de- 
clare the  decree  of  God,  that  I  am  the  Son  of  God.  But  I  will 
not  do  this  by  my  own  authority,  lest  I  should  seem  to  boast 
of  myself.  Nay,  I  will  rather  declare  unto  you  what  the 
Father  has  said  of  me,  that  ye  may  hear  him  speaking  of  me, 
who  commanded  me  to  declare  that  which  he  said  unto  me; 
that  thus  ye  may  believe  me  concerning  myself  upon  his  author- 
ity. 

And  observe  also  this  change  of  the  persons.  At  one  time 
•  L  is  the  Fathers  words ;  at  another,  the  words  of  the  Son,  de- 
claring the  words  of  the  Father  concerning  himself,  which 
is  a  holy  and  sacred  diversity,  commending  unto  us  the  nature 
and  equality  of  the  Godhead  in  a  more  holy  manner  than 
I,  from  my  impurity  and  unvvorthiness,  dare  to  set  forth 
any  farther.  In  a  word  this  Psalm  is  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant Psalms  of  the  whole  Psalter.  This  is  sufficiently  proved 
upon  the  authority  of  the  apostle  Paul,  who,  when  speaking 
of  the  divine  generation,  says,  Heb.  i  :5,  "Unto  which  of  the 
angels  said  he  at  any  time,  thou  art  my  Son,  this  day  have  I 
begotten  thee?" 


8o  LUTPIER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

Now  every  one  will  observe  for  himself  that  the  words 
of  the  Father  express  an  only  begotten  Son.  'He  said  unto 
me  only,  not  unto  many,  Thou  art  my  holy  Son.'  Distinguish- 
ing most  certainly  by  such  remarkable  and  particular  words 
this  one  especial  Son  from  all  others,  concerning  which,  Ps. 
89:6  saith,  ''Who  among  the  sons  of  God  is  like  unto  Jehovah? 
As  if  he  had  said,  there  are  many  sons  of  God  but  only  One 
among  them  who  is  God.  And  who  is  like  unto  him?  And 
again,  'I  have  begotten  thee,'  'I  only,'  'thee  only,'  etc. 

And  how  discerningly  and  worthily  have  all  the  holy  fathers 
interpreted  this  passage,  "This  day  have  I  begotten  thee  ?"  that 
is,  in  eternity.  For  that  is  an  eternal  generation  which  is  born, 
and  will  be  born,  without  end.  And  to  be  a  Son,  is  to  be  born 
of  a  Father.  But  Christ  neither  began  to  be  born,  nor  will 
ever  cease  to  be  born,  but  is  ever  being  born  in  a  present  nativ- 
ity. He  is  rightly  said  therefore  to  be  begotten  "to-day,"  that 
is,  being  always  begotten.  For  "to-day"  implies  neither  a  ves- 
lerday  nor  a  to-morrow,  but  always  a  present  time,  a  to-day. 
As  is  is  said,  John  8  .-58,  "Before  Abraham  was  I  am." 

Where  are  ye  now,  ye  miserable,  proud  mortals,  who  am- 
bitiously seek,  or  hold  the  place  of  this  king  in  the  church  ?  who 
declare  not  the  command  of  God,  nor  preach  Jesus  Christ  the 
Sen  of  God  crucified  for  the  salvation  of  them  that  believe,  but 
amass  riches,  wallow  in  luxuries,  and  revel  in  a  pompous  show 
of  all  things  ?  This  Son  of  God  who  is  appointed  King  does  not 
seek  his  own,  but  declares  the  decree  of  God,  and  receives  his 
kingdom,  not  for  himself,  but  for  the  salvation  of  others,  to 
the  glory  of  God  the  Father. 

But  this  one  office  of  the  Word,  which  is  the  great  duty  of 
bishops,  is  the  one  duty  that  is  above  all  others  omitted.  And, 
!t  there  be  others  who  teach  in  their  stead,  they  teach  not  the 
"command"  of  God,  not  Christ,  but  their  own  fables,  or,  at 
best,  only  the  laws  and  traditions  of  men.  Therefore,  believe 
not  that  the  church,  the  holy  mountain  of  God  is  there  where 
Christ  does  not  teach  Christ  in  all  purity.    For  it  is  a  word  of 


PSALM    II.  Ol 

important  weight  when  Christ  says,  "I  will  declare  the  com- 
mand "of  God,"  not  the  command,  counsel,  and  histories  of 
men.  And  "I"  myself  will  declare  it.  For  if  Christ  does  not 
speak  in  us,  we  shall  never  declare  the  command  of  God  of 
ourselves.  He  saith  'I  will  be  in  thy  mouth,'  Ex.  4:12,  and, 
"C>pen  thy  mouth  wide,  and  I  will  fill  it,"  Ps.  81  :io. 

Our  translation  of  this  passage,  therefore,  does  not  in  the 
least  differ  from  the  Hebrew  in  sense.  And  though  a  diversity 
in  the  reading  will  sometimes  make  a  little  difference  in  the 
sense,  yet  if  the  same  truth  be  held  firmly  the  diversity  in  the 
reading  will  do  no  harm ;  therefore  I  wish  not  to  be  contentious. 

This  verse  distinguishes  the  kind  of  doctrine  taught  in  the 
New  Testament  from  that  which  was  taught  in  the  Old.  In 
tlie  Old  the  law  was  taught,  which  work'eth  wrath,  Rom.  4:15, 
and  increases  sin ;  but  now,  faith,  which  worketh  the  re- 
r.iission  of  sins  and  fulfilleth  all  righteousness.  In  the  former 
tlierefore  was  the  manlawgiver  and  servant,  Moses  :  in  the  lat- 
ter the  God-lawgiver,  Christ,  the  Lord  of  all.  The  former  made 
men  to  be  the  servants  of  sin  :  the  latter  makes  them  free  in 
righteousness. 

Not  that  the  law  is  not  taught  now  also,  for  Christ  saith. 
Matt.  13:52,  that  a  scribe  well  instructed  in  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  brings  forth  things  new  and  old ;  but  grace  is  the  pecul- 
"iar  preaching  under  the  New  Testament,  and  the  works  of  the 
law  under  the  Old.  And  as  there  is  no  one  in  this  life  in 
v/hom  all  the  fulness  of  the  New  Testament  is  accomplished, 
so  no  one  can  be  found,  in  w^iom  there  is  not  some  part  of  the 
Old  Testament  remaining.  For  this  life  is  a  certain  passage 
and  transition  out  of  the  law  into  grace,  out  of  sin  into  right- 
euosness,  and  out  of  Moses  into  Christ ;  but  the  consummation 
will  be  after  the  resurrection  that  is  to  come. 

V.  8.  —  Ask  of  me,  and  I  ivill  give  thcc  the  nations  (heath 
en)  for  thine  inheritanee,  and  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  eartJi 
for  t/iy  possession. 

And  this  also  belonsrs  to  the  "decree"  which  Christ  received 


82  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

of  the  Father,  who  commanded  him  to  declare  it.  The  Lord 
said  unto  me,  and  the  Lord  commanded  me  to  ask  of  him  the 
heathen  for  my  inheritance.  And  this  command  1  will  declare, 
that  ye  may  know  and  believe  that  I  am  appointed,  not  only 
king  over  Mount  Zion,  his  holy  mountain,  that  is,  over  the 
people  of  Israel,  but  also  the  heir  and  Lord  of  all  things ;  that 
he  who  shall  hear  this  command  of  the  Father  from  me  and 
shall  believe  it  may  come  unto  the  Father  and  be  saved. 

Here  again,  you  see  that  the  kingdom  of  Christ  was  not 
assumed  by  him  in  arrogance,  but  confirmed  unto  him  by  the 
authority  and  command  of  the  Father.  Hence  the  ambitious 
are  here  so  far  from  having  any  example  or  precedent  set  them, 
that  their  vice  is  rebuked  even  by  the  authority  of  divine  exam- 
ple. Nor  is  this  considered  a  sufficient  reproof  to  their  mon- 
strous conduct,  for  Christ  the  Lord  of  all  acts  and  does  nothing 
in  the  church  without  the  command  of  God.  But  these  wretch- 
ed worms  of  men  try  and  dare  all  things  in  their  own  rashness 
in  a  church  that  is  not  their  own. 

.  What  is  the  reason,  that,  on  being  set  as  king  upon  Mount 
Ziovi,  he  is  not  commanded  to  ask  the  kingdom  of  Mount  Zion  ? 
and  that  the  inheritance  of  the  heathen  is  promised  him,  yet 
not  without  his  asking  for  it,  nay,  being  commanded  to  ask 
for  it?  Perhaps,  it  is  because  the  blessing  and  kingdom  of 
Christ  were  promised  to  Israel  in  Abraham,  but  mercy  was" 
extended  to  the  Gentiles  without  a  promise.  As  in  Rom.  1 5 : 
8-9,  "For  I  say  that  Christ  hath  been  made  a  minister  of  the 
circumcision  for  the  truth  of  God,  that  he  might  confirm  the 
premises  given  unto  the  fathers :  and  that  the  Gentiles  might 
glorify  God  for  his  mercy,  etc."  Thus,  the  truth  was  con- 
firmed unto  the  Jews  and  the  promises  fulfilled  unto  them,  but 
mercy  unto  the  Gentiles  was  freely  and  gratuitously  imparted. 
And  hence  mercy  and  truth  are  most  frequently  coupled  to- 
gether in  the  prophets.  Though  it  was  of  gratuitous  mercy 
also  that  God  condescended  to  make  the  promise. 

Therefore,  Zion  is  given  to  Christ  for  a  kingdom,  but  the 


PSALM   II,  83 

Gentiles  are  given  to  him  for  an  inheritance  upon  his  asking 
for  them  as  a  gift,  as  being  those  to  whom  the  promise  was 
not  made.  Thus  Is.  66:19-20.  "And  they  shall  declare  my 
glory  among  the  Gentiles.  And  they  shall  bring  all  your 
brethren  out  of  all  nations  for  an  offering  unto  the  Lord." 
Hence  Israel  is  the  kingdom  and  we  Gentiles  are  the  gift,  like 
the  dowry  of  the  daughter  of  Pharaoh,  which  Pharaoh  king 
of  Egypt  gave  unto  her. 

In  a  word,  when  Christ  is  set  as  king  upon  Zion,  he  uses, 
the  plainest  declarations  of  it,  which  at  once  show  that  such  is 
the  case;  but  when  he  is  declared  to  be  the  heir,  he  is  first 
commanded  to  ask,  and  it  is  promised  unto  him  as  that  which 
siiall  be  hereafter.  All  which  things  we  see  fulfilled  in  the 
Acts  of  the  Apostles ;  for  the  disciples  did  not  preach  the  Word 
unto  any  but  the  Jews,  until  Paul  being  called  from  heaven 
was  sent  unto  the  Gentiles.  Christ,  therefore,  being  now  upon 
earth,  appointed  king  upon  Mount  Zion,  asks  for  the  Gentiles, 
and  when  he  reigns  in  heaven,  he  receives  the  Gntiles  which 
v/ere  then  promised  unto  him.  Again,  the  words  "of  me"  are 
not  spoken  without  a  particular  meaning.  They  are  to  show 
that  this  kingdom  and  this  inheritance  of  the  Gentiles  are  con- 
ferred on  Christ,  not  by  men,  nor  in  any  human  way,  but  by 
God,  that  is,  spiritually. 

And  this  is  one  of  those  passages  against  which  they  rashly 
fight,  who  deny  that  any  are  Christians,  except  those  who  are 
under  the  Pope  of  Rome.  For  such  endeavor  to  make  God 
the  Father  a  liar;  because,  he  subjected  the  uttermost  parts  of 
th.e  earth  unto  Christ,  whereas,  they  hold  that  all  Europe  is 
not  yet  put  under  him.  What !  can  there  be  no  Christians  there 
because  the  Turk  or  the  Scythian  reigns  there  temporally? 
How  then  did  there  exist  Christians  at  Rome  under  Nero  and 
Domitian  ?  What !  are  there  no  bishops  there  because  they  do 
not  buy  bishops'  robes  ?  Are  there  no  priests  there  because 
they  do  not  pay  annats  ?  What  if  it  be  found,  that  those  are  the 
more  truly  bishops  wlio  are  the  most  free  from  opulence,  pomp, 


84  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

and  pride  and  teach  the  word  of  God  and  oversee  the  people 
cf  Christ?  For  Paul  certainly  describes  bishops,  Acts  20:28, 
as  those  who  take  heed  unto  the  flock  and  feed  the  church  of 
God.  "Take  heed  therefore  unto  yourselves,  and  to  all  the  flock 
in  which  the  Holy  Ghost  hath  made  you  overseers,  to  feed  the 
church  of  God."  And  though  he  is  here  speaking  to  the  elders 
as  Jerome  plainly  collects  from  the  text,  and  has  shown  from 
the  words,  'take  heed,'  which  are,  in  the  original,  of  a  kindred 
signification,  yet  cannot  the  ruling  of  the  church  and  the  taking 
heed  unto  the  flock  be  done  by  the  ministry  of  the  Word  and 
prayer  only  without  all  that  noise  and  tumult  of  the  bishops 
which  prevail  at  present  everywhere? 

Let  us  therefore,  lest  we  should  contract  the  inheritance  of 
Christ,  not  accuse  the  word  of  this  psalm  of  a  lie,  either  on 
account  of  the  perfidy  of  the  Turks,  or  on  account  of  any  other 
ni'dtitude  of  erroneous  men.  Otherwise,  who  even  among  us 
shall  know  who  are  Christians  in  truth?  Do  not  wicked  men 
abound  among  us  also,  while  good  men  are  few  ?  The  author- 
ity of  the  Word  is  greater  than  all  our  capacity.  How  much 
greater,  then,  is  it  than  all  our  suspicion  and  the  phantom  of 
external  appearance? 

Augustine  thinks  that  there  is  a  tautology  here,  that  is,  that 
the  inheritance  of  the  Gentiles  and  the  possession  of  the  utter- 
most parts  of  the  earth  are  the  same,  which  tautology,  as  I 
have  before  said,  is  a  sign  of  the  thing  being  established  by 
God,  that  our  faith  may  rest  upon  it  the  more  securely,  namely, 
that  there  are  Christians  also  in  other  parts  of  the  world, 
where  other  apostles  have  preached,  however  much  wickedness 
may  there  prevail. 

V.  9.  —  TJioii  slialt  break  (rule)  tJicm  zvith  a  rod  of  iron, 
and  tJiou  shalt  dash  (break)  them  in  pieces  like  a  potter's  rcssel. 

Here  again  the  vain  dreams  of  the  flesh  are  to  be  removed 
out  of  the  way  that  no  one  might  imagine  that  the  kingdom  of 
Christ  is  either  founded  or  preserved  by  iron  or  arms ;  because 
it  is  written,  that  he  delighteth  not  in  chariots,  nor  in  horses. 


PSALM   II.  85 

nor  in  the  legs  of  a  man,  Ps.  20:7;  147:10.  And  the  apostle 
saith,  2  Cor.  10:4,  "For  the  weapons  of  our  warfare  are  not 
carnal."  And  the  Turks,  whom  at  this  day  we  never  seek  to 
conquer  by  any  other  means  than  by  the  sword,  we  ought  to 
conquer  by  increasing  the  number  of  Christians  among  them. 

Why  do  we  not  attack  with  the  sword  also  the  wicked 
among  ourselves,  especially  the  great  ones  of  the  people?  But 
God  forbid.  The  kingdom  of  Christ  consists  in  righteousness, 
truth,  and  peace.  By  these  it  was  obtained,  and  by  the  same 
it  Vv'ill  be  preserved.  And  hence  when  he  said  above  that  he 
was  appointed  king,  he  recommended  no  other  office  whatever 
besides  that  of  the  Word,  saying,  "I  will  declare  the  decree  of 
God ;"  not,  I  will  ride  fine  horses,  I  will  lay  waste  cities,  I  will 
seek  the  treasures  of  the  world;  but,  I  will  do  this  one  thing, 
—  declare  those  things  which  God  hath  commanded,  that  is, 
that  Christ  is  God  and  Man,  which  Paul,  Rom.  1:1,  calls  the 
gospel,  saying,  "Separated  unto  the  gospel  of  God,  which  he 
had  promised  afore,  concerning  his  Son  Jesus  Christ,  etc." 

You  see,  therefore,  that  the  whole  of  this  verse  is  allegori- 
cal; and  not  without  cause,  for  it  signifies  a  certain  allegory 
which  really  takes  place  in  fact  and  life.  For  as  the  word  of 
Christ  is  the  word  of  salvation  and  peace,  not  in  the  flesh,  but 
in  the  spirit,  it  of  necessity  follows,  that  it  subdues  and  drives 
out  the  safety,  peace,  life,  and  ease  of  the  flesh.  And  where 
it  does  this,  it  appears  unto  the  flesh  harder  and  more  unfeeling 
than  iron  itself.  For  wherever  the  carnal  man  is  savingly 
touched  by  the  Word  of  God,  one  thing  is  felt,  and  another  is 
wrought,  namely,  that  of  i  Sam.  2  16-7,  "Jehovah  killeth  and 
maketh  alive ;  he  bringeth  down  to  the  grave  and  bringeth  up. 
tie  bringeth  low,  he  also  lifteth  up." 

This  allegorical  work  of  God  is  beautifully  described  by 
Is.  28:21,  "That  he  may  do  his  work,  his  strange  work,  and 
bring  to  pass  his  act,  his  strange  act."  As  if  he  had  said, 
though  God  is  the  God  of  life  and  salvation  and  these  are  his 
proper  works ;  yet,  in  order  to  accomplish  these,  he  kills  and 


86  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

destroys,  that  he  may  thereby  come  unto  his  proper  work.  For 
]-ie  kills  our  will,  that  he  may  establish  his  own  in  us.  He 
mortifies  the  flesh  and  its  desires,  that  he  may  implant  the 
Spirit  and  his  desires. 

And  this  is  the  same  thing  as  that  which  he  said  above 
without  allegory,  "Declaring  the  command  of  God."  For  the 
Spirit  receives  the  Word  of  God  as  a  most  sweet  command- 
ment, and  it  is  then  that  the  holy  mount  Zion  becomes  his  king- 
dom, the  heathen  his  inheritance,  and  the  uttermost  parts  of 
the  earth  his  possession.  But  the  flesh  militates  against  the 
command,  or  Word  of  God,  with  the  greatest  indignation,  and 
will  not  acknowledge  it,  because  it  is  utterly  and  in  all  things 
contrary  to  it.  And  therefore,  it  receives  the  word  as  a  rod, 
and  as  iron  that  breaks  it  in  pieces.  And  this  is  the  allegory 
completed,  both  in  the  signification  of  this  verse,  and  in  the  ex- 
emplification of  it  in  fact  and  experience. 

"Thou  shalt  rule  them,"  is,  in  Hebrew,  throeim,  which 
Jerome  translates,  "Thou  shalt  feed  them."  But  John  Reuch- 
Hu  in  his  Rudiments  gives  us  many  significations  of  this  word, 
namely,  'to  feed,'  'to  rule,'  'to  consume,'  'to  afilict,'  and  'to 
shake,*)  or  break  and  bruise  in  pieces.'  And  this  last  significa- 
tion, as  far  as  I  am  capable  of  judging,  is  the  most  applicable  to 
the  present  passage.  First,  because  a  "rod  of  iron,"  as  every 
one  knows,  is  more  fit  for  bruising  and  breaking  in  pieces,  than 
for  ruling  or  feeding.  And  secondly,  had  ruling  been  signified, 
it  would  have  been  sufficient  to  have  said  "rod"  only.  And,  for 
feeding,  neither  iron  nor  a  rod  is  rightely  adapted.  For  what 
can  a  'rod  of  iron'  do  but  bruise  and  break  in  pieces  ?  according 
to  that  of  Daniel  2  40.  "For  as  much  as  iron  breaketh  in  pieces 
and  subdueth  all  things ;"  so  also  shall  this  break  and  bruise  all 
things  in  pieces.  Add  to  this,  that  this  kind  of  tautology  beauti- 
fully agrees  with  the  meaning  of  the  passage,  because,  it  now 
follows,  "thou  shalt  dash  them  in  pieces  like  a  potter's  vessel ;" 


^)  "Amicus  cogitatio  in  the  Basel  and  Weimar  editions. 


PSALM   II.  87 

.^o  that  this  ruHng  and  this  dashing  in  pieces  signify  the  same 
thing. 

Each  of  these  expressions  signifies  the  humbling  of  the 
proud  by  the  Word  of  God,  because,  he  breaks  and  dashes  in 
pieces  when  he  terrifies  and  humbles.  The  apostle  says,  Rom, 
I  "iS,  that  the  wrath  of  God  is  revealed  from  heaven.  Thus 
those  who  were  converted  by  the  word  of  Peter  and  were 
pricked  in  their  hearts  said,  'men,  brethren,  what  shall  we  do?' 
xA.cts  2  :37.  And  this  is  what  is  called  in  other  places  of  the 
scripture  'rebukes,'  the  'moving  of  the  world,'  the  'shaking  of 
the  earth,'  etc.  But  ]\Iic.  4:13,  the  most  beautifully  of  all 
saith,  "Arise  and  thresh,  O  daughter  of  Zion :  for  I  will  make 
thy  horn  iron,  and  I  will  make  thy  hoofs  brass ;  and  thou  shalt 
boat  in  pieces  many  peoples :  and  I  will  devote  their  gain  unto 
Jehovah,  that  is,  the  people  themselves,  as  a  spoil  taken  from 
the  devil,  and  their  substance  unto  the  Lord  of  the  whole  earth." 
Behold,  then,  what  it  is  to  rule  them  with  a  rod  of  iron :  name- 
ly, to  break  in  pieces  many  people  with  a  horn  of  iron  as  the 
prophet  here  saith. 

This  "rod,"  therefore,  is  the  sacred,  holy  Gospel  of  Christ, 
for  this  is  the  sceptre  of  his  kingdom ;  as  in  Ps.  45  :6,  "A  sceptre 
of  equity  is  the  sceptre  of  thy  kingdom."  Amd  Ps.  110:2,  "Je- 
hovah will  send  forth  the  rod  of  thy  strength  out  of  Zion." 
And  also  Is.  1 1  4,  "And  he  shall  smite  the  earth  with  the  rod 
of  his  mouth,  and  with  the  breath  of  his  lips  shall  he  slay  the 
wicked."  And  what  is  the  rod  of  the  mouth  of  Christ  but 
tiie  Word  of  God,  which  breaks  in  pieces  the  earth,  that  is,  those 
that  follow  after  earthly  things?  And  what  is  the  breath  of 
his  mouth  but  the  same  word  of  his  breath,  with  which  he 
slays  the  wicked  that  they  might  die  unto  ungodliness  and 
live  unto  godliness?  This  is  the  rod  whose  top,  in  the  hand  of 
Joseph,  Jacob  adored.  Gen.  47:31.*     Heb.  11:21,  This  is  the 


*)  In  all  editions  Gen.  47,  Weimar   Edition,  in  the  margin,  Gen. 
49:22  etc.  is  not  correct. 


88  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

rod  the  top  of  which  the  blessed  Esther  touched,  Esther  5  .2. 

It  is  called  a  "rod"  metaphorically  or  rather  allegorically. 

First,  because  it  is  slender  and  easy  to  be  carried,  so  that 
it  may  be  borne  in  the  hand,  for  the  yoke  of  Christ  is  easy 
and  his  burden  is  light.  Matt.  11  :30.  But  the  hands  of  Moses 
are  heavy,  so  that  they  were  supported  by  stones  put  under 
him  by  Aaron  and  Hur,  Exod.  17:12,  which  signifies  as  Peter 
explains  it,  Acts  15  :io  the  intolerable  yoke  of  the  law.  Where- 
as, on  the  contrary,  the  hands  of  Christ  are  laid  even  on  infants 
and  on  the  sick  throughout  the  Gospel,  that  they  may  be  healed 
and  saved  thereby. 

Moses,  moreover,  has  two  great  and  heavy  stone  tables, 
and  the  Levites  also  used  of  old  to  bear  many  and  heavy  vessels 
belonging  to  the  tabernacle,  as  we  read  Num.  4:31 ;  and  these 
Moses  calls  their  "burdens,"  and  many  and  heavy  burdens  they 
certainly  are,  considered  in  themselves ;  but  they  are  no  burdens 
at  all,  or  at  least  but  very  light,  when  we  look  at  the  tyrannizing 
laws  and  rites  of  the  present  day.  For  we  at  this  day  bear,  not 
tables  and  vessels,  but  whole  woods  and  rocks,  and  such  heavy 
bands  of  popes,  that  the  whole  world  together  can  scarcely 
endure  them.  And  all  this  is  come  upon  us  justly,  because  we 
have  cast  away  from  us  the  "rod"  of  Christ.  And  therefore, 
that  has  happened  unto  us  which  is  written.  Is.  8:6-7,  'Foras- 
much as  this  people  have  refused  the  waters  of  Shiloah  that 
go  softly :  now  therefore  behold  tlie  I-ord  bringeth  upon  them 
the  waters  of  the  river,  strong  and  many.' 

Secondly,  because  it  is  straight.  For  the  gospel  and  the 
law  of  the  Spirit  lead  unto  life  by  a  straight,  direct,  and  short 
wa\.  Whereas,  the  law  of  the  letter,  by  long  and  winding 
j).'itlis  of  figures  and  works,  and,  as  it  were,  by  a  most  tedious 
desert  journey,  scarcely  brings  us  after  all  even  into  the  plains 
of  Moab,  and  never  leads  us  into  the  land  of  Canaan,  but  with 
Moses  it  fails. 

Thirdly,  because  the  law  of  Christ  is  open  and  revealed,  as 
a  "rod"  is  carried  without  a  case  or  sheath ;  but  the  law  of 


PSALM   II.  89 

Aloses  and  the  tal3lcs  were  covered  and  carried  in  an  ark,  and 
so  also,  every  lav/  and  every  work  of  the  law,  without  Christ, 
is  but  a  shadow  and  a  sign  of  hidden  righteousness,  and  not 
the  true  righteousness  itself ;  for  that  is  revealed  by  the  law  of 
Christ,  as  it  is  set  forth,  Rom.  i  :i7,  In  the  gospel  is  revealed 
a  righteousness  of  God  from  faith  unto  faith.' 

Jt  is  called  "of  iron." 

First,  as  I  said,  on  account  of  the  flesh,  to  which  the  law 
of  Christ  is  most  galling,  though  to  the  spirit  it  is  most  sweet. 
For  it  lays  on  all  the  desires  of  the  flesh  the  cross  and  death, 
and  imposes  on  us  poverty,  humility,  and  patience.  These  are 
the  three  horns  of  the  cross.  For  poverty  breaks  in  pieces  the 
lust  of  the  eyes  and  avarice;  humility,  the  pride  of  life  and 
ambition  ;  and  patience,  the  lust  of  the  flesh  and  pleasure.  Hence 
Is.  27  :i,  calls  it  a  great  and  strong  sword,  "In  that  day  Jehovah 
with  his  hard  and  great  and  strong  sword  will  punish  leviathan 
tlie  swift  serpent." 

Secondly,  because  it  is  of  inflexible  and  invincible  rectitude, 
or  as  the  blessed  Augustine  here  thinks  of  inflexible  righteous- 
ness. For  however  much  many  have  tried  to  twist  and  bend 
the  Word  of  God  to  their  own  interpretations  and  lusts,  yet  it 
has  ever  remained  of  invincible  rectitude,  proving  all  those  to 
be  liars  who  have  attempted  to  wrest  and  pervert  it.  For  it 
is  not  of  reed,  like  the  staff  of  Egypt,  2  Kings  18:21,  and  Is. 
36*6,  "Whereon  if  a  man  lean,  it  will  go  into  his  hand  and 
pierce  it."  The  reed  is  the  doctrine  of  men,  which  is  shaken 
by  every  wind  of  opinion.  But  this  voice  of  one  crying  in  the 
wilderness,  as  it  is  not  covered  with  soft  clothing,  so  neither  is 
it,  like  the  reed,  empty  or  shaken  with  the  wind,  but  full,  solid, 
and  of  iron.  And  as  to  some  men  attributing  to  the  scriptures 
a  nose  of  wax,  and  saying  that  it  is  a  reed  that  is  moveable  and 
to  be  shaken,  that  all  proceeds  from  the  doings  of  those,  who 
abr.se  the  Holy  Word  of  God  to  their  own  vain  and  unstable 
opinions  and  glosses,  making  the  Word  of  God  to  suit  all,  and 
so  to  suit  no  one. 


go  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

Thirdly,  as  iron  conquers  and  breaks  in  pieces  all  things,  as 
Daniel  2  40  says,  so,  the  Word  of  Christ  breaks  great  things 
in  pieces,  that  is,  humbles  the  proud ;  it  straightens  the  crooked, 
that  is,  chatises  the  undisciplined ;  it  bends  the  straight,  that 
is,  bends  down  the  proud ;  it  smooths  the  rough,  that  is,  cools 
the  passionate  ;  it  lengthens  the  short,  that  is,  comforts  the  weak 
and  helpless ;  it  shortens  the  long,  that  is,  terrifies  the  presump- 
tuous ;  it  widens  the  narrow,  that  is,  makes  the  tenacious  bounti- 
ful ;  it  contracts  the  wide,  that  is,  makes  the  prodigal  frugal ; 
it  sharpens  the  blunt,  that  is,  instructs  the  ignorant ;  it  blunts 
the  sharp,  that  is,  makes  the  wise  fools ;  it  keeps  off  rust,  that 
is,  drives  out  acidity.  In  a  word,  it  changes  every  thing  that 
is  vicious  and  deformed  into  that  which  is  pleasing  unto  God, 
as  the  apostle  saith,  2  Tim.  3:16-17,  "Every  scripture  inspired 
of  God  is  also  profitable  for  teaching,  for  reproof,  for  correc- 
tion, for  instruction  which  is  in  righteousness  :  that  the  man  of 
God  may  be  complete,  furnished  completely  unto  every  good 
work." 

Like  a  potter's  vessel. 

David  here  mingles  a  similitude  with  the  allegory,  to  illus- 
trate his  meaning  the  more  clearly.  So  the  apostle,  2  Cor.  4:7, 
uscf  'earthen  vessels'  in  an  allegorical  way  to  signify  the  body, 
or  rather  the  man  in  the  body.  He  says,  "We  have  this  treas- 
ure, in  earthen  vessels,  that  the  exceeding  greatness  of  the 
power  may  be  of  God,  and  not  from  ourselves."  And  these  also 
are  the  earthen  pitchers  of  Gideon,  which  being  dashed  to  pieces 
and  broken  at  the  sound  of  the  trumpets,  burn  and  shine,  and 
rout  and  pursue  the  discomfited  Midianites.  That  is,  the  bodies 
of  the  martyrs  and  saints,  being  dashed  to  pieces  by  various 
crosses  and  sufferings,  instruct  the  world  by  their  examples  of 
love  and  truth,  and  put  the  ungodly  to  flight,  together  with  all 
their  ungodliness.  And  so,  according  to  the  figure,  while  the 
flesh  or  the  carnal  man  is  broken  in  pieces  by  the  Word  of  the 
cross  and  the  rod  of  iron,  the  confused  multitude  of  sins  and 
lusts  are  dispersed  from  before  the  face  of  the  Christian  vir- 


PSALM   II.  91 

tues,  and  before  the  face  of  that  grace  which  exalts  the  man. 

Rut  we  are  in  this  passage  to  attend  to  the  simihtude,  not  to 
the  thing  itself.  For  Christ  does  not  shake  and  dash  his 
people  in  pieces  and  tear  their  bodies  limb  from  limb,  just  as 
earthen  vessels,  when  broken,  are  scattered  into  many  small 
pieces.  But  this  material  dashing  in  pieces  is  an  emblem  of 
the  spiritual  dashing  in  pieces,  that  is,  though  the  members  of 
the  body  are  not  thus  broken  in  pieces,  yet  they  are  dashed  in 
pieces  with  respect  to  their  evil  lusts  and  actions. 

The  tongue  does  not  speak  those  things  which  please  the 
flesh,  the  ear  does  not  hear  calumny  and  detraction,  the  hand 
does  not  take  that  v^diich  is  another's,  nor  meddle  with  those 
things  which  are  unlawful,  and,  in  a  word,  the  body  of  sin, 
which  before  used  all  the  members  according  to  its  own  lusts, 
being  on  a  sudden,  by  the  Word  of  God,  deprived  of  the 
members  now  scattered  and  disturbed  by  that  Word,  exhibits 
a  certain  happy  Babylon  ;  while,  as  the  apostle  saith,  Rom.  6:19, 
the  members  which  were  yielded  up  to  be  servants  to  un- 
cleanness  unto  iniquity,  are  now  yielded  up  to  servants  to  right- 
eousness unto  holiness.  And  so  also  in  the  gospel,  Luke  1 1 :22, 
that  "stronger  than  he,"  not  only  takes  away  the  armour,  but 
divides  the  spoils.  For  the  Hebrew  word,  thenaphzem^  signi- 
fies, according  to  Reuchlin,  'thou  shalt  scatter,'  'thou  shalt  dis- 
sipate,' 'thou  shalt  disperse.' 

Therefore  all  Christians  are  "this  potter's  vessel."  First, 
because,  as  a  potter's  vessel  is  most  easily  broken,  so  tender 
men,  not  rendered  obstinate  by  the  hardening  nature  of  unbe- 
lief, easily  believe  the  Word  of  God  and  neither  resist  nor  con- 
tradict it ;  whereas,  those  who  are  of  a  hardened  mind  rush 
on  into  evil,  as  it  is  said,  Prov.  28:12,  and  shall  without  doubt 
be  overturned  like  the  mountains,  and  broken  in  pieces  like  the 
rocks,  according  to  that  which  Elijah  saw,  i  Kings  19  :ii. 

Secondly,  because,  when  an  earthen  vessel  is  broken  in 
pieces  it  becomes  utterly  unfit  for  its  former  use.  So  that  you 
mav  see  Is.  30:14  fulfilled,  "There  shall  not  be  found  among 


92  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

the  pieces  thereof  a  sherd  wherewith  to  take  fire  from  the 
hearth,  or  to  dip  up  water  out  of  the  cistern."  for  the  prophet 
is  there  speaking  of  the  breaking  of  a  potter's  vessel  with  a 
powerful  dashing  in  pieces,  which  agrees  with  the  present  verse 
ahuost  word  for  word ;  for  the  ungodly  man,  being  thus  con- 
verted and  turned  unto  Christ,  is  rendered  quite  useless  for  his 
former  manner  of  life,  saying  with  the  apostle,  "The  world 
has  been  crucified  unto  me  and  I  unto  the  world."  Gal.  6:14. 

V.  10.  —  Nozv  therefore  he  wise:  O  ye  kings;  be  instructed^ 
ye  judges  of  the  earth. 

The  Latin  translator  has  in  explanation  of  the  word,  "those 
who  judge  the  earth"  instead  of  "judges  of  the  earth."  With- 
out explaining  the  word  he  said  "kings,"  not  those  who  rule. 
This  is  of  little  importance. 

Having  given  a  description  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  he 
now  subjoins  a  faithful,  holy,  and  wise  exhortation ;  trying 
all  things  and  plying  every  means  to  bring  all,  especially  the 
greater  ones,  into  subjection  unto  Christ. 

But  how  bold  and,  as  we  are  accustomed  to  say  in  our 
limes,  how  seditious  and  offensive  is  this  most  daring  prophet, 
who  lifts  up  his  mouth  into  the  clouds,  and  to  heaven  dares 
•  J  attack,  not  the  lowest  of  mankind  and  the  common  people, 
but  the  loftiest  personages,  yea,  kings  themselves,  and  to  in- 
struct them,  who,  being  inflated  with  both  their  title  and  their 
office  to  instruct  the  people,  and  also,  from  their  habits  and 
opinion  of  dignity,  are  most  unprepared  to  endure  such  indig- 
nity to  be  put  upon  them ;  considering  all  others  fools,  and 
ignorant,  and  standing  in  need  of  being  taught  and  instructed 
themselves. 

]t  is  easy  indeed  to  make  tlie  ignorant  common  people,  who 
are  accustomed  to  be  under  discipline,  attend  to  what  you  say. 
But  to  bring  down  kings,  judges  of  the  earth,  masters,  rulers, 
teachers,  and  popes,  to  a  level  v/ith  the  common  people,  and 
not  only  so,  but  to  bring  them  down  to  the  rank  of  pupils,  after 
such  a  long  habit  of  ruling  and  teaching;  yea  more,  to  pass 


PSALM    II.  93 

over  the  common  people  in  silence,  and  seek  out  them  only 
for  pupils  to  be  instructed  —  these  things,  I  say,  who  can 
bear  to  do  ?  Who  will  not  here,  like  John  the  Baptist,  tremble 
to  touch  the  head  of  Christ  ?  Yet  he  is  to  be  touched  and  to  be 
baptized  in  the  water  of  Jordan,  as  descending  to  the  humble, 
that  all  righteousness  may  be  fulfilled,  Matt.  3:15;  and  thus, 
he  who  is  the  highest  in  majesty,  humbles  himself  beneath  the 
lowest,  and  he  who  is  lowest,  trembles  at  the  humility  of  his 
high  majesty. 

But  the  benign  and  blessed  Spirit  knows  that  the  entire 
welfare  of  the  common  people  depends  upon  their  right  subjec- 
tion to  those  in  authority  and  therefore  he  admonishes  first 
tl\ese  in  a  friendly  and  fatherly  manner,  that  they  follow  not 
their  own  inclination  but  that  they  be  more  docile  to  be  taught, 
since  they  direct  not  their  own  affairs,  but  those  of  their  sub- 
jects, and  because  when  they  fall  into  error  they  bring  all  their 
people  with  them  into  misfortune,  as  is  said  in  Matt..  I5-I4» 
"And  if  the  blind  guide  the  blind,  both  shall  fall  into  a  pit." 

But  not  only  because  of  this  reason  does  he  admonish  them, 
but  also  because  he  knows,  as  I  have  said,  that  those  v/ho  are 
puffed  up  yith  their  power  and  office  have  always  in  their 
mouths  that  of  John  9  134,  "Dost  thou  teach  us  ?"  And  that 
of  Jer.  18:18,  'For  the  law  shall  not  perish  from  the  priest, 
nor  counsel  from  the  wise,  nor  the  word  from  the  prophet." 
And  therefore,  being  puffed  up  v/ith  this  inflated  and  false 
confidence,  they  resisted  the  true  prophets,  just  in  the  same 
way  as,  at  this  day,  all  those  prating  flatterers  about  the  popes, 
resist  every  appearance  of  the  truth,  because  they  cannot  once 
imagine,  as  they  pretend,  that  the  head  of  so  high  a  personage 
can  err,  etc.  The  church  cannot  err  they  cry.  The  pope  cannot 
err.    The  council  cannot  err,  etc. 

Those,  however,  under  the  Old  Testament  were  more  strict- 
ly bound  to  obey  the  bishop  ,pontHicum,  than  we  Christians 
are.  For  then,  they  were  bound  to  hear  the  Levitical  priests 
under  penalty  of  death.    But,  in  our  day,  we  are  all  priests  and 


94  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

that  word  of  15.54:13,  is  fulfilled,  "And  all  thy  children  shall 
be  taught  of  Jehovah,"  and  that  also  of  Jer.  31 :34,  "And  they 
shall  teach  no  more  every  man  his  neighbor  and  every  man 
his  brother,  saying,  Know  Jehovah :  for  they  shall  all  know 
me  from  the  least  of  them  unto  the  greatest  of  them,  saith 
Jehovah ;"  and  Paul  has  plainly  given  us  commandment,  i  Cor. 
14:30,  "But  if  a  revelation  be  made  to  another  sitting  by,  let 
the  first  keep  silence."  Since  this  is  the  case  under  the  New 
Testament,  all  superiors  are  so  to  be  heard  that  every  lovv^est 
hearer  be  left  free  to  judge  what  the  higher  person  advances 
in  those  things  which  pertain  unto  faith,  as  far  as  the  law  of 
God  will  allow,  which  is  a  much  greater  liberty  than  was 
allowed  the  prophets  in  their  resisting  the  elders  of  Israel, 
Deut.  17:8-12.  For  in  the  synagogue,  Avhere  the  priesthood 
had  to  do  only  with  external  ceremonies,  an  error  in  the  priests 
was  not  attended  with  peril.  But  in  the  church,  where  it  is 
a  matter  of  the  spirit  and  of  faith,  it  is  of  the  utmost  moment 
unto  all  to  observe  whether  or  not  the  priest  be  in  error;  be- 
cause, God  is  wont  to  reveal  unto  the  lowest  what  he  does 
not  deign  to  reveal  unto  the  highest,  that  his  church  may  stand 
firm  in  humility  in  which  alone  it  subsists. 

And  mark  the  force  of  the  adverb  "now."  "Now,"  saith 
the  prophet,  that  Christ  is  appointed  king  of  all.  At  this  time 
there  are  two  things  that  will  hinder  you  in  coming  to  the 
knowledge  of  the  things  that  are  right. 

First,  it  is  that  Christ,  who  was  crucified  by  you,  who  died 
and  was  condemned,  and  even  accursed,  according  to  the  law 
of  Moses,  by  the  will  and  authority  of  God,  that  is  now  pro- 
claimed Lord  of  all  lords.  It  will  be  the  most  difficult  thing 
possible  to  acknowledge  him  King  who  died  such  a  desperate 
and  ignominious  death.  For  sense  strongly  resists  such,  a  faith, 
reason  abhors  it,  experience  denies  it,  and  there  is  no  example 
to  support  it.  This  is  the  height  of  foolishness  to  the  Gentiles 
and  a  stumbling-block  to  the  Jews,  unless  ye  raise  your  minds 
far  above  all  the  external  appearance  of  these  things. 


PSx\LM   II.  95 

Secondly,  this  King  so  reigns  as  to  teach  that  all  things 
which  you  have  hoped  for  from  the  law  are  to  be  despised  and 
all  things  which  you  have  feared  are  to  be  loved.  He  sets 
before  you  the  cross  and  death.  He  admonishes  you  to  think 
little  of  every  thing  human  that  appears  either  good  or  evil, 
in  order  to  transport  you  into  far  different  and  better  things 
v/hich  neither  the  eye  has  seen,  nor  the  ear  heard,  nor  has  it 
ever  entered  into  the  heart  of  man  to  conceive.  Ye  must  die 
if  ye  would  live  under  this  King ;  and  the  cross,  the  hatred  of 
the  whole  world,  poverty,  ignominy,  hunger,  thirst,  and,  in  a 
word,  all  the  evils  of  this  world,  are  to  be  endured,  and  cannot 
be  avoided.  For  this  King  is  one  who  was  himself  made  a 
fool  unto  the  world  and  died ;  and  he  also  bruises  all  his  with 
a  rod  of  iron  and  dashes  them  in  piece§  like  a  potter's  vessel. 

How  then  shall  this  King  be  endured  by  him  who  depends 
on  sense,  measures  every  thing  by  reason,  and  stands  at  the 
door  of  his  tent,  and  will  not  look  at  the  face  of  Moses?  So 
necessary  are  instruction  and  understanding  in  order  to  rise 
above  all  these  things,  and,  despising  things  that  are  seen,  to 
be  carried  up  to  things  that  are  not  seen,  being  made  wise, 
not  unto  the  things  that  are  on  earth,  but  unto  the  things  that 
are  above,  where  Christ  is,  etc. 

Wlierefore,  the  expression  "be  wise,"  is,  in  the  Hebrew, 
ASCiLU,  which,  being  put  absolutely,  signifies  'make  wise,'  that 
is  as  Jerome  explains  it,  yourselves  or  others,  that  is,  so  do, 
so  strive,  that  ye  may  be  wise,  may  be  wise  unto  spiritual  and 
heavenly  things.  In  the  same  way  also,  Ps.  32  -.g  speaks,  "Be 
ye  not  as  the  horse  or  as  the  mule,  which  have  no  understand- 
ing," And  this  understanding  is  not  that  concerning  which 
philosophers  dispute,  but  is  faith  itself,  which,  in  times  both  of 
prosperity  and  of  adversity,  is  able  to  see  those  things  which 
are  not  seen. 

Therefore,  not  fully  describing  those  things  which  they 
are  to  understand,  he  says,  absolutely,  "be  wise,"  that  is,  take 
heed  that  ye  be  wise,  take  heed  that  ye  be  in  the  faith.     For 


96  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

those  things  which  faith  understands  are  not  to  be  described 
either  in  name  or  form.  For  the  prosperity  or  adversity  of 
present  things  utterly  subverts  every  man  Vvdio  does  not,  by 
faith,  understand  the  things  which  are  not  seen.  And  this 
imderstanding  comes  of  faith,  according  to  that  scripture,  'If 
ye  will  not  believe,  neither  shall  ye  understand.'  This  is  that 
entering  into  the  cloud,  Ex.  20:21,  in  which  is  swallovk^ed  up 
every  thing  that  sense,  reason,  or  the  mind  or  understanding 
of  man  can  comprehend.  For  faith  unites  the  soul  to  the  invis- 
ible, ineffable,  unnamable,  unimaginable,  eternal  Word  of  God, 
and  at  the  same  time  separates  it  from  all  things  visible.  And 
this  is  the  cross,  and  the  nature  of  the  things  of  God,  where  it 
is  necessary  to  preach  this  understanding. 

Augustine  receives  "be  instructed,  ye  judges  of  the  earth" 
as  spoken  tautologically.  And  these  words  also  are  put  ab- 
solutely, the  same  as  the  preceding  "be  wise;"  and  the  mean- 
ing is,  be  separated  from  all  ignorant  and  carnal  affections 
and  opinions,  and  all  senses  and  sensible  things,  that  ye  think 
not  as  children  concerning  Christ  and  his  kingdom.  For  the 
natural  man  understandeth  not  the  things  of  God,  i  Cor.  2:14. 
However,  it  seems  to  me,  that  this  'instruction'  signifies  a  turn- 
ing of  the  heart  from  all  perishing  things,  just  as  understanding 
signifies  the  conversion  of  the  mind,  and  the  apprehending  of 
eternal  things.  The  former  of  which  is  wrought  by  the  cross 
in  the  mortification  of  the  flesh :  the  latter  by  faith  in  the 
renevv^ing  of  the  spirit. 

That  "earth"  signifies  figuratively  the  men  on  the  earth  is 
too  well  known  to  need  any  exposition,  excepting  that  August- 
ine seems  rather  inclined  to  understand  it  to  signify  figuratively 
the  body. 

V.  II.  —  Serve  Jehovah  {the  Lord)  zcith  fear,  and  rejoice 
(before  him)  zvifh  trembling. 

A  wonderful  expression  this,  and  in  our  eyes  absurd.  For 
fear  works  hatred  and  a  fleeing  from  the  object  feared,  not  serv- 
ing of  it ;  and  trembling  militates  directly  against  rejoicing. 


PSALM   II.  97 

David  in  another  Psalm  speaks  antithetically,  wherein  we 
are  commanded  to  "serve  the  Lord  with  gladness,"  Ps.  100:2. 
What  shall  we  understand,  therefore,  by  these  things?  Let 
us  hear  the  apostle  Paul,  as  an  intermediate  teacher,  settle 
the  matter,  who  says,  i  Cor.  i  :2i,  "For  seeing  that  in  the  wis- 
dom of  God  the  world  through  its  wisdom  knew  not  God,  it 
was  God's  good  pleasure  through  the  foolishness  of  the  preach- 
ing to  save  them  that  believe."  As  if  he  had  said,  we  must 
be  made  wise  by  becoming  fools.  Thus,  in  peace  and  prosperity 
we  do  not,  as  we  ought,  acknowledge  God  nor  praise  him.  As 
in  security  we  do  not  serve  God  with  gladness,  it  is  pleasing 
to  him  that  we  serve  him  in  fear  with  gladness,  and  rejoice  in 
fear. 

And  in  a  word,  as  the  world  perverts  all  the  things  of  God, 
so  does  God  pervert  all  the  things  of  the  world.  The  whole 
creation  was  given  to  lift  up  and  illuminate  man,  but  he  uses  it 
to  blind  and  pervert  himself ;  and  therefore  God  uses  the  whole 
creation  to  blind  and  pervert  man.  This  is  the  cross  of  Christ 
and  that  foolishness  of  preaching  whereby  he  saves  them  that 
believe,  for  the  reasoners,  the  disputers  of  this  world,  the  wise, 
the  understanding,  are  oflended  at,  and  destroyed  by  these 
things. 

The  meaning  therefore  of  this  passage  is  this :  Since 
Christ  the  Lord  rules  with  his  rod  of  iron  and  breaks  in  pieces 
the  old  man  with  the  word  of  the  cross,  and  that  by  the  will 
and  according  to  the  commandment  of  the  Father,  who  has 
put  all  things  in  subjection  to  him,  it  behooves  you  to  acknow- 
ledge yourselves  subject  unto  him,  and  subject  unto  him  in 
fear,  that  ye  may  patiently  and  humbly  bear  his  cross,  fear- 
ing lest,  by  becoming  unwilling  to  bear  his  hand  and  counsel, 
ye  should  prove  to  be  reprobates,  like  those  sons  of  Ephraim, 
mentioned  in  Ps.  78  :g,  "The  children  of  Ephraim,  being 
armed  and  carrying  bows,  turned  back  in  the  day  of  battle." 

And  this  ye  will  assuredly  do  if  ye  confess  that  you  never 
suffered   unmerited   punishment,   but   that   you   had   deserved 


98  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

much.  For  the  proud,  who  seem  to  themselves  to  deserve  good 
things  only,  are  secure  and  are  not  Hke  Job,  'afraid  of  all  their 
sorrows,'  9 :28.  Therefore  in  the  time  of  temptation  they 
stand  not  but,  like  the  house  of  the  foolish  man,  mentioned 
in  Matt.  7  -.26,  etc.  which  was  built  upon  the  sand,  they  fall 
with  a  terrible  destruction  and  become  worse  and  worse.  Hence 
this  fear  in  a  man's  whole  life  and  in  all  his  works  is  a  great 
part  of  the  cross,  nay,  nearly  the  whole  of  the  cross. 

But  farther,  we  are,  with  the  Apostle  Paul,  Rom.  5  :3,  'to 
glory  in  tribulations  also,'  and  to  rejoice  in  them  with  trem- 
bling. From  all  this  we  conclude  that  there  are  two  kinds 
of  serving  and  rejoicing  in  God. 

First,  a  serving  in  security  and  a  rejoicing  in  the  Lord 
without  fear :  these  are  peculiar  to  hypocrites,  who  are  se- 
cure, who  please  themselves,  and  who  appear  to  themselves 
to  be  not  unuseful  servants  and  to  have  great  merit  on  their 
side,  concerning  whom  it  is  said,  Ps.  10:5,  "Thy  judgments 
are  far  above  out  of  his  sight;"  and  also  afterwards,  Ps.  36:1, 
"There  is  no  fear  of  God  before  his  eyes."  These  at  all  times 
do  righteousness  without  judgment  and  permit  not  Christ  to 
be  the  judge  and  to  be  feared  by  all,  in  whose  sight  no  man 
living  is  justified.     Ps.  143  .2. 

Secondly,  a  serving  in  fear  and  a  rejoicing  with  trembling: 
these  are  peculiar  to  the  righteous  who  do  righteousness  and 
judgment  at  all  times,  and  always  rightly  attemper  both;  never 
being  without  judgments,  on  the  one  hand,  by  which  they  are 
terrified  and  brought  to  despair  of  themselves  and  of  all  their 
own  works,  nor  without  that  righteousness,  on  the  other,  on 
which  they  rest  and  in  which  they  rejoice  in  the  mercy  of 
God.  It  is  the  office  of  their  whole  life  to  accuse  themselves 
in  all  things,  and  in  all  things  to  justify  and  praise  God.  And 
thus  they  fulfil  that  word  of  Prov.  28:14,  "Happy  in  the  man 
that  feareth  alway :"  and  also  that  of  Phil.  4  -.4,  "Rejoice  in 
the  Lord  alway."  Thus,  between  the  upper  and  nether  mill- 
stone, Deut.  24 :6,  they  are  broken  in  pieces  and  humbled,  and, 


PSALM   II.  99 

the  husk  being  thus  broken  off,  they  come  forth  the  pure 
wheat  of  Christ. 

And  the  emphatic  force  of  the  expression  "serve  Jehovah" 
I  leave  to  your  meditation  :  he  does  not  say  serve  yourself,  nor 
your  own  belly,  nor  your  gold,  nor,  finally,  your  own  right- 
eousness, power,  or  wisdom,  nor,  in  a  word,  any  thing  what- 
ever that  is  your  own  or  created;  for  all  these  things  are  a 
kind  of  idolatry.  Therefore  rejoice  "in  him,"  not  in  your- 
selves, nor  in  any  creature,  but  in  Jehovah  alone.  And  this 
thou  doest  when  thou  arrogatest  to  thyself  nothing  good  what- 
ever in  any  thing  of  thins  own,  so  as  to  trust  and  glory  therein, 
but  ascribest  every  thing  unto  God,  and  praisest,  blessest,  and 
lovest  him  in  all  things  :  ascribing  unio  thyself  at  the  same 
time  all  evil,  and  fearing  and  trembling  on  account  of  it, 
and  having  no  confidence  whatever  therein,  even  as  Job  i  :2i, 
said,  with  respect  both  to  his  prosperity  and  adversity,  "Je- 
hovah gave,  and  Jehovah  hath  taken  away,  blessed  be  the 
name  of  Jehovah." 

How  difficult  all  these  things  are  thou  wilt  see  if  thou  con- 
sider each  time.  For  in  adversity  it  is  a  hard  matter  not  to 
faint,  not  to  complain,  not  to  become  impatient,  and,  from 
the  fear  of  evil,  not  to  do  things,  and  to  leave  them  undone, 
contrary  to  the  commands  of  God ;  and  thus  by  the  fear  of 
God,  to  overcome  the  fear  of  the  creature,  not  to  yield  to 
the  senses  and  to  sensible  objects,  but  to  cleave  close  unto 
the  Word  of  the  Lord  even  unto  death.  For  by  these  things 
it  is  proved  whether  we  serve  God  or  not,  or  whether  the  will 
of  God  is  feared  more  than  the  violence  of  any  creature. 
Though,  indeed,  the  trembling  before  God  is  more  in  peril 
in  prosperity  than  the  fear  of  God  is  in  adversity.  Because, 
in  prosperity  we  rejoice  in  security,  for  it  is  difficult  to  fear, 
much  more  to  tremble,  when  everything  goes  as  we  wish. 

Consequently,  according  to  my  judgment,  David  has  very 
appropriately  connected  trembling  with  rejoicing,  and  fear 
with  serving;  because,  serving  implies  the  labor  of  adversity,' 


lOO  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

but  rejoicing  the  ease  of  prosperity,  and  fear  was  to  be  recom- 
mended in  the  former,  that  he  might  declare  trembhng  to  be 
necessary  in  the  latter.  As  if  he  had  said,  there  is  more  to 
be  feared  where  fear  is  not,  and  the  more  pleasantly  all  things 
go  the  more  anxiously  ought  we  to  fear ;  and  consequently, 
we  ought  to  tremble  when  at  any  time  we  exult  and  rejoice 
more  than  usual. 

V.  12,  —  Kiss  the  son  (lay  hold  on  discipline),  lest  he  (the 
Lord)  be  angry,  and  ye  perish  in  the  (right)  zvay. 

In  the  Hebrew  the  words  'Lord'  and  'right'  are  not  found, 
though  that  does  no  harm  to  the  sense.  But  the  translation 
"lay  hold  on  discipline"  is  rejected  by  almost  all.  For  in  the 
Hebrew  it  is  nascu  bar,  which  Jerome  has  rendered  in  the 
Hebrew  Psalter  'Adore  purely ;'  because  bar  signifies  also 
'pure'  and  'elect.'  And  the  same  author  in  his  short  commen- 
tary has  these  words,  'In  the  Hebrew  it  is  read  nascu  bar: 
which  may  be  rendered  'Adore  the  Son.'  For  bar  signifies 
also  a  son.  Hence  we  have  in  the  Gospel  Simon  bar  Jonah, 
Simon  the  son  of  John.  And  bar  Ptolemeus,  the  son  of  Pto- 
lemy.   And  again  Barnabas,  the  son  of  a  prophet,  and  the  like. 

Burgensis  and  Lyra  render  the  passage  thus,  'kiss  the 
Son.'  But  we  no  where  find  that  bar  signifies  'discipline.' 
And  by  'kiss'  they  consider  to  be  signified  'do  homage.'  So 
that  the  sense  should  be  'kiss  the  Son,'  that  is,  hold  the  King 
and  Lord,  Christ,  in  reverence  with  humility. 

But  let  us  try  to  harmonize  all  these  renderings.  First, 
a  kiss  is  a  sign  of  reverence  and  adoration  and  a  way  in  which 
v/e  kiss  and  adore  sacred  and  divine  things,  as  when,  humbly 
prostrating  ourselves,  we  kiss  the  feet  and  footsteps  of  any 
person  in  the  same  way  as  Mary  Magdalene  kissed  Christ ;  and 
therefore,  according  to  this,  Jerome  has  rendered  the  passage 
'adore  purely.' 

Secondly,  it  is  a  sign  of  acknowledgment  and  of  a  profes- 
sion of  fidelity,  as  when  in  doing  homage,  we  are  accustomed 
to  kiss  the  hand,  acknowledging  thereby  that  he  whom  we 


PSALM   II.  lOI 

kiss  is  our  Lord.  Thirdly,  it  is  a  mark  of  the  most  perfect 
friendship  and  affection,  as  when  we  kiss  the  eyes  or  face  of 
any  one,  concerning  which  the  apostle  commands  us,  Rom.  i6: 
1 6,  "Salute  one  another  with  an  holy  kiss."  And  we  read 
that  it  was  with  such  a  kiss  as  this  that  Christ  was  used  to 
receive  his  returning  disciples.  Luke  7  45  ;  Matt.  26  :49.  And, 
as  those  who  kissed  each  other  thus  were  accustomed  to  clasp 
and  embrace  each  other,  therefore,  our  translation  has  "lay  hold 
on  discipline." 

But  since  David  says  absolutely  'kiss  the  Son,'  not  saying 
any  thing  about  his  feet,  nor  his  hands,  nor  his  face,  it  is  just 
that  we  should  take  this  kissing  in  its  full  latitude,  that  is,  by 
kissing  his  feet,  we  adore  Christ  as  the  Son  of  God  and  true 
God,  by  kissing  his  hand  we  receive  him  as  our  lawful  Lord 
and  our  eternal  helper  and  Saviour,  by  kissing  his  eyes  or  face, 
we  embrace  him  as  our  most  beloved  Brother  and  Friend  and 
the  Bridegroom  of  our  souls.  Concerning  these  three  kisses, 
see  Bernard,  at  the  beginning  of  the  Song  of  Solomon.  So 
that  the  sense  is  "kiss  the  Son,"  that  is,  worship  Christ  who  is 
God  with  the  greatest  reverence,  be  subject  unto  Christ  with 
the  deepest  humility,  and  cleave  unto  the  Bridegroom  Christ 
with  the  strongest  love.  Behold,  here  are  love  and  fear,  with 
humility  between  to  keep  both  in  their  proper  places.  And 
this  is  the  most  perfect  service  and  worship  of  God. 

With  respect  to  the  other  word  bar,  which  has  been  trans- 
lated 'son,'  'pure,'  and  'discipline,'  let  us  bring  these  renderings 
in  such  harmony  that  faith  in  Christ  is  our  right  discipline. 
Therefore  he  who  believes  in  Christ,  that  is,  kisses  the  Son, 
truly  lays  hold  on  discipline,  carrying  the  cross  of  Christ  in 
himself,  as  we  read  in  the  Gal.  6  :i4,  17,  For  he  does  not  kiss 
nor  lay  hold  of  Christ  according  to  the  flesh,  but  in  the  spirit; 
and  that  he  does,  when  he  lovingly  undertakes  his  cross  and 
sufferings,  which  are  the  things  by  which  we  are  disciplined, 
Heb.    12:7,  etc.     Therefore  our  translation,    though    by    no 


I02  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS, 

means  correct  with  regard  to  the  hteral  meaning  of  the  Hebrew, 
is  yet  most  agreeable  to  truth  and  experience. 

Moreover,  'to  adore  purely'  touches  upon  that  which  is 
written,  i  Kings  19:18,  concerning  the  adoration  of  Baal.  "Yet 
will  I  leaye  me  seven  thousand  in  Israel,  all  the  knees  which 
have  not  bowed  unto  Baal,  and  every  mouth  which  hath  not 
kissed  him  (kissing  his  hand)."  In  which  passage  to  make 
a  cursory  observation,  kissing  his  hand  is  not  in  the  original, 
but  the  same  verb  nasca  is  there  used,  which  is  found  in  this 
passage  and  which  we  now  are  showing  signifies  'to  kiss,'  and 
which,  with  reference  to  Baal,  signifies  to  adore  him;  though 
it  was  in  all  probability  some  Hebrew  interpreter  that  added 
the  gloss  "kissing  his  hand"  that  he  might  express  the  mode 
of  adoration  used,  and  afterwards  that  gloss  was  by  some  ig- 
norant author  introduced  into  the  vulgate  text. 

According  to  this  sense  of  the  passage.  Job  also  speaks, 
31:27,  28,  "And  my  mouth  hath  kissed  my  hand.  This  also 
were  an  iniquity  to  be  punished  by  the  judges ;  for  I  should 
have  denied  the  God  that  is  above."  By  which  scriptural 
trope  is  signified,  as  Gregory  interprets  it,  a  man  that  trusts 
in  his  own  works  and  glories  in  a  righteousness  not  received 
from  Christ  but  gotten  by  his  own  works  and  performances. 
For  such  a  man  as  this  adores  and  kisses  his  hand  with  his 
mouth,  because,  he  praises  himself  in  himelf,  and  pleases  him- 
self with  himself,  but  his  soul  does  not  praise  God  and  rejoice 
in  him ;  and  therefore,  it  is  the  greatest  of  iniquities  and  denying 
of  the  Most  High,  because  such  an  one  ascribes  to  himself 
that  which  belongs  to  God,  setting  up  himself  for  an  idol  Baal, 
adoring  himself,  and  making  himself  the  author  of  all  the 
good  that  he  enjoys.  For  Baal  signifies  an  'author,'  or  a  'lord.' 
Thus,  Is.  2:8,  "They  worship  the  work  of  their  own  hands, 
that  which  their  own  fingers  have  made."  But  this  is  the 
most  impure  of  all  adorations.  Therefore  to  kiss  Christ,  to 
acknowledge  Christ  as  a  Saviour,  and  to  kiss  his  hand,  —  this 
is  truly  and  purely  to  adore  the  true  and  pure  Christ,  —  this 


PSALM   II.  103 

is  to  adore  the  Son.  And  John  saith,  ''If  therefore  the  Son 
shall  make  you  free,  ye  shall  be  free  indeed,"  8 :36. 

We  conclude  therefore  that  the  prophets  meaning  is  that 
men  should  serve  Christ  in  fear,  acknowledging  themselves  to 
be  sinners,  ever  accusing  themselves,  and  justifying  only  God 
in  Christ.  But  as  men  may  run  against  Christ,  and  pretend 
that  they  have  kept  the  law,  are  righteous,  have  not  sinned, 
and  have  no  need  of  Christ  for  righteousness :  therefore, 
opposing  this  wicked  presumption,  David  saith,  do  not  think 
that  ye  are  righteous ;  away  with  such  an  idolatrous  imagina- 
tion ;  make  not  yourselves  equal  unto  God ;  trust  not  in  your 
own  righteousness.  Yea,  kiss  the  Son,  embrace  the  Son,  and 
his  hand,  his  righteousness,  and  his  salvation  shall  save  you. 
But  if  ye  do  not  this  he  will  grow  "angry"  with  your  right- 
eousness, and  ye  shall  "perish  from  the  way,"  or  'Ye  shall 
perish  together  with  your  way,'  for  in  the  Hebrew  it  is  some- 
what obscurely  expressed  vethobedu  deeecii,  that  is,  literally, 
'and  ye  shall  perish,  the  way ;'  which  seems  to  me  to  be  put 
eliptically,  for  'ye  shall  perish  with  your  way,'  according  to 
that  of  Ps.  I  :6,  "but  the  way  of  the  ungodly  shall  perish." 
For  I  do  not  see  with  due  deference  to  the  opinions  of  others, 
how  tlicy  can  perish  from  the  right  way,  who  were  never  in 
the  right  way.  But  they  may  be  terrified  to  their  destruction, 
who,  pleasing  themselves  with  their  own  way  as  being  the 
right  way,  do  not  acknowledge  Christ  the  true  "way." 

For  (lulien)  his  wrath  zvill  soon  he  kindled  (is  kindled  but 
a  little).    Blessed  are  all  they  that  take  refuge  (trust)  in  him. 

This  passage  in  the  Hebrew  belongs  to  that  which  pre- 
cedes. The  order  of  the  whole  is  thus.  Kiss  the  Son,  lest  he  be 
angry,  and  ye  perish  in  the  way ;  for  his  wrath  will  soon  be 
kindled.    Blessed  are  all  they  that  take  refuge  in  him. 

The  meaning  therefore  is,  make  haste  and  dday  not  to 
adore  Christ,  lest  ye  perish  in  his  anger.  And  do  not  deceive 
yourselves  as  supposing  that  he  is  far  from  you ;  but  know 
that  his  wrath  is  kindled  in  a  moment,  and  that  he  may  come 


I04  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

upon  yon  when  you  little  expect  him,  according  to  Matt.  24  48, 
50,  "But  and  if  that  wicked  servant  shall  say  in  his  heart, 
my  Lord  delayeth  his  coming.  The  Lord  of  that  servant  shall 
come  in  a  day  when  he  looketh  not  for  him,  and  in  an  hour 
that  he  is  not  aware  of."  And  so  also  Prov.  i  \2'j.  'When 
your  calamity  shall  come  suddenly,'  etc.  And,  i  Thess.  5  :2,  3, 
"For  yourselves  know  perfectly  that  the  day  of  the  Lord  so 
cometh  as  a  thief  in  the  night.  When  they  are  saying,  Peace 
and  safety,  then  sudden  destruction  cometh  upon  them."  Ter- 
rible therefore  is  this  threatening,  because,  if  the  wrath  of 
God  thus  suddenly  overtake  a  man  there  will  be  none  to  deliver. 

Finally  David  concludes  his  Psalm  with  a  most  beautiful 
remark.  This,  saith  he,  is  the  blessing  of  all  blessings  — 
"Blessed  are  all  they  that  trust  in  him."  For  he  therefore 
suffered,  he  therefore  rose  again,  he  was  therefore  appointed 
King,  he  therefore  received  the  inheritance  of  all  things,  that 
he  might  save  all  that  trust  in  him. 

And  this  trust  alone  it  is  that  justifies  without  the  works 
of  the  law,  as  the  apostle  teaches  in  his  Epistles  to  the  Romans, 
3  :28,  and  to  the  Galatians,  2  :i6.  But  it  is  a  very  hard  matter 
to  hold  fast  this  trust  in  the  midst  of  so  many  resisting  ad- 
versities and  so  many  alluring  prosperities.  'Blessed  are  they, 
therefore,  who  shall  not  be  offended  in  him,'  Matt.  1 1  :6. 
This  is  a  work  of  divine  grace,  and  not  of  human  power. 

Thus  the  Holy  and  Gracious  Spirit  does  not  threaten  to 
all  eternity,  but  to  all  eternity  comforts  those  who  are  terri- 
fied and  alarmed.  If,  saith  he,  ye  fear  anger,  do  not  despair, 
but  trust;  and  "Blessed  are  all  they  that  trust  in  him,"  for 
he  therefore  terrifies  them  that  he  might  bring  them  to  trust 
in  him.     Amen. 


P  S  A  L  M    I  I  I. 

A  PSALM  OF  DAVID  WHEN   HE  FLED  FROM  THE  FACE 
OF   HIS   SON   ABSALOM. 

Why  this  Psahn  is  placed  before  others,  which  in  the  order 
of  history  were  written  long  before  it,  is  a  matter  of  no  con- 
sequence with  me :  for  I  have  never  yet  found  any  exact  order 
for  the  Psalms.  Thus  the  history  of  the  fifty  first  Psalm  con- 
cerning the  wife  of  Uriah,  was  without  doubt  before  the 
history  of  this  Psalm :  and  the  histories  of  many  other  Psalms 
were  before  it. 

With  respect  to  the  design  and  meaning  of  this  Psalm,  it 
is  not  my  intention  to  bring  forward  the  opinions  and  interpre- 
tations of  all ;  and  yet,  out  of  such  a  variety  I  cannot  come  to 
a  fixed  determination  in  my  mind  which  to  choose.  I  am  no 
friend  at  all  of  allegories ;  especially  when  I  am  searching  after 
that  legitimate,  proper,  and  genuine  sense,  which  may  put  an 
end  to  contention,  and  strengthen  the  instruction  of  faith. 

But,  that  the  meaning  of  this  Psalm  is  not  historical,  i« 
manifest  from  many  particulars,  which  militate  against  its 
being  so  understood.  First  of  all,  there  is  this  which  the 
blessed  Augustine  has  remarked;  that  the  words  'T  laid  me 
down  to  sleep  and  took  my  rest"  seem  to  be  the  words  of 
Christ  rising  from  the  dead.  And  then,  that  there  is  at  the 
end  the  blessing  of  God  pronounced  upon  the  people,  which 
manifestly  belongs  to  the  whole  church.  Hence,  the  blessed 
Augustine  interprets  the  Psalm  in  a  threefold  Vv^ay :  first,  con- 
cerning Christ  the  head ;  secondly,  concerning  the  whole  Christ, 
that  is,  Christ  and  his  church,  the  head  and  the  body;  and 
thirdly,  figuratively  concerning  any  private  Christian. 

I  will  let  each  have  his  own  interpretation.  I,  in  the  mean 
time,  will  interpret  it  concerning  Christ,  being  moved  so  to 


I06  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

do  by  the  same  argument  that  moved  Augustine  —  that  the 
fifth  verse  does  not  seem  appropriately  to  apply  to  any  other 
than  Christ.  First,  because  'lying  down'  and  'sleeping'  signify 
in  this  place  altogether  a  natural  death,  not  a  natural  sleep. 
This  may  be  concluded,  because  then  follows,  "rose  again." 
Whereas  if  David  had  spoken  concerning  the  sleep  of  the 
body,  he  would  have  said  'and  awoke;'  though  this  does  not 
favor  so  forcibly  the  interpretation  of  which  we  are  speaking, 
if  the  Hebrew  word  be  closely  examined.  But  again,  what 
new  thing  would  he  advance  by  declaring  that  he  laid  him 
dovv^n  and  slept  ?  Why  did  he  not  say  also  that  he  walked,  ate, 
drank,  labored,  or  was  in  need,  or  mention  particularly  some 
other  work  of  the  body?  Moreover,  it  seems  an  absurdity 
under  so  great  a  tribulation  to  boast  of  nothing  else  than  the 
sleep  of  the  body,  for  that  tribulation  would  rather  force  him 
to  a  privation  from  sleep  and  be  in  peril  and  distress,  especially 
since  those  two  expressions,  "I  laid  me  down,"  and  "I  slept," 
signify  the  quiet  repose  of  one  lying  down  in  his  place,  which 
is  not  the  state  of  one  who  falls  asleep  from  exhaustion  through 
sorrow. 

But  this  consideration  makes  the  more  forcibly  for  us, 
that  he  therefore  glories  in  his  rising  up  again,  because  it 
was  the  Lord  that  sustained  him,  who  raised  him  up  while 
sleeping  and  did  not  leave  him  in  sleep.  How  can  such  a 
glorying  agree,  and  what  new  kind  of  religion  can  make  it 
agree,  with  any  particular  sleep  of  the  body?  In  that  case 
would  it  not  apply  to  the  daily  sleep  also  and  especially  when 
this  sustaining  of  God  indicates  at  the  same  time  an  utterly 
forsaken  state  in  the  person  sleeping?  Which  is  not  the  case 
in  bodily  sleep ;  for  then  the  person  sleeping  may  be  pro- 
tected even  by  men  being  his  guards,  but  this  sustaining  being 
altogether  of  God  implies  not  a  sleep  but  a  heavy  conflict. 

Lastly,  the  word  hekizothi  itself  favors  such  an  inter- 
pretation ;  which,  being  here  put  absolutely  and  transitively, 
signifies  'I  caused  to  arise  or  awake.'     As  if  he  had  said,  'I 


PSALM  III.  107 

caused  myself  to  awake,  I  roused  myself.'  Which  certainly 
more  aptly  agrees  with  the  resurrection  of  Christ  than  with 
the  sleep  of  the  body,  both  because  those  who  are  accustomed 
to  be  aroused  and  awaked  and  because  it  is  no  wonderful  mat- 
ter, nor  a  matter  worthy  of  so  important  a  declaration,  for 
any  one  to  awake  of  himself,  since  that  is  what  takes  place 
every  day.  But  this  matter,  being  introduced  by  the  Spirit 
as  something  new  and  singular,  is  certainly  different  from  all 
that  which  attends  common  sleeping  and  waking. 

Since  then  these  things  are  so,  it  follows  of  necessity  that 
where  the  title  of  the  Psalm  indicates  something  historical  we 
are  not  always  necessarily  to  conclude,  that  the  subject  of  it  is 
to  be  understood  historically,  but  that  the  history  was  the 
occasion  or  event  wherein  and  whereby*  the  prophets  were  to 
be  instructed  by  the  intuition  of  the  Spirit  in  things  that  were 
come. 

Let  the  meaning  therefore  of  the  title  of  this  Psalm  be, 
'A  Psalm, a  song  of  David,  revealed  unto  him,  or  discovered 
unto  him  by  the  Holy  Spirit  when  he  fled  from  the  face  of 
his  son  Absalom,'  that  is,  upon  the  occasion  of  that  history 
and  circumstance.  For  it  is  not  likely  that  the  Psalm  was 
composed  by  him  at  the  very  time  of  that  history  and  his 
flight  from  his  son,  because  he  was  at  that  time  in  a  state  of 
the  greatest  inquietude  from  anxiety  and  gloomy  apprehen- 
sion. Whereas,  the  Holy  Spirit  requires  a  lucid  and  quiet 
instrument,  and  it  is  not  under  the  temptation,  but  after  the 
temptation,  that  the  man  at  length  perceives  and  knows  the 
tilings  which  have  been  done  unto  him.  It  is  most  probable, 
therefore,  that  this  Psalm  was  composed  long  after  the  histori- 
cal event,  when,  in  cjuiet  meditation,  he  understood  the  myster- 
ies contained  in  that  event. 

It  is  moreover  to  be  observed  that  in  all  these  titles,  the 
word  David  is  in  the  dative  case,  which,  in  these  instances, 
is  equal  to  an  accusative  with  the  preposition  ad;  and  according 
to  the  same  mode  of  expression  it  is  said  in  the  other  prophets, 


I08  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

the  Word  of  the  Lord  came  unto  this  person  or  unto  that, 
Jer,  I  \2,  or  was  m  the  hand  of  this  person  or  that,  Is.  20 :2. 
And  it  is  peculiar  to  this  prophet  to  call  the  Word  of  God  a 
Psalm,  or  a  song,  or  instruction,  and  to  adorn  it  with  various 
other  titles,  as  we  shall  see  hereafter,  and  then,  by  putting 
his  own  name,  David,  in  the  dative  case,  to  signify  thereby 
that  the  revelation  of  that. same  Word  was  made  unto  him. 
Thus  does  the  Holy  Spirit  commend  unto  us  this  peculiar 
prophet  and  the  peculiar  prophesies  of  this  book. 

But  it  will  be  necessary  also  to  be  well  acquainted  with 
the  history  contained  in  2  Sam.  15:14,  and  to  understand  its 
sacred  mysteries. 

In  the  first  place,  Absalom  represents  figuratively  the  peo- 
ple of  the  Jews  both  in  his  actions  and  in  his  name.  In  his 
name,  because  Absalom  is,  by  interpretation,  'the  father  of 
peace,'  which  is  a  name  that  seems  to  promise  something  bless- 
ed, if  all  the  other  attending  circumstances  did  not  compel  us 
to  understand  it  as  representing,  in  a  bad  sense,  that  peace 
which  the  world  gives,  that  is,  a  hatred  of  the  cross  of  Christ. 

For  that  people  hated  in  an  especial  manner  the  cross  and 
the  evils  of  this  world,  because  the  good  things  of  this  world 
and  the  peace  of  this  life  had  been  promised  to  them  in  the 
law.  Hence  their  cry  of  "Peace,  peace,"  Jer.  6:14:  whereas, 
there  was  no  peace,  because  they  neither  kept  the  law  nor  were 
able  to  do  it,  and  therefore,  the  apostle  calls  them  "enemies 
of  the  cross  of  Christ,"  Phil.  3  :i8. 

In  the  next  place,  Absalom  represents  that  people  in  his 
actions;  because  he  is  said,  2  Sam.  14:25,  etc.  to  have  been 
the  most  beautiful  man  in  all  Israel,  and  that  there  was  no 
blemish  in  him  from  the  sole  of  his  foot  even  imto  his  head ; 
that  his  hair  was  of  such  an  unheard-of  thickness,  that  it  was 
cut  every  year  and  sold,  and  weighed  two  hundred  shekels 
after  the  king's  weight;  and  it  is  also  said  that  it  was  sold 
to  the  women,  who  used  it  to  ornament  their  heads. 

Thus  is  represented  that  synagogue  which  shone  conspicu- 


PSALM  III.  109 

ously  above  all  other  peoples  of  the  earth,  which  was  the  glory 
of  our  fathers  and  pre-eminently  distinguished  for  its  worship 
of  the  one  true  God,  its  gift  of  a  knowledge  of  the  law,  and 
of  the  prophets,  and  many  other  things  described,  Rom.  3:2; 
9  4  etc.  And  then,  the  very  thick  hair  represents  the  splendid 
order  of  priests  and  Levites  at  the  head  and  in  the  highest  place 
of  the  synagogue,  abounding  in,  overflowing  with,  and  boasting 
of  their  riches  and  luxuries,  concerning  whom,  Is.  3:17,  24 
says,  'And  the  Lord  will  make  bald  the  head  of  the  daughters 
of  Zion :  and  instead  of  hair  there  shall  be  baldness :'  that 
is,  instead  of  their  splendid  priesthood.  And  again,  Ps.  68:21, 
"But  God  shall  wound  the  head  of  his  enemies,  and  the  hairy 
scalp  of  such  an  one  as  goeth  on  still  in  his  wickedness." 

Absalom's  hanging  suspended  from  an  oak  by  his  hair 
between  heaven  and  earth,  to  be  killed  in  that  situation,  signi- 
fies, that  the  priests  hung  by  their  carnal  opinions,  and  were 
not  impressed  by,  nor  understand  either  the  heavenly  or  the 
earthly  things  of  the  law.  And  the  hair  being  shorn  and  sold 
to  women  signifies  that  those  priests  being  separated  in  spirit 
from  the  head  of  the  synagogue,  gave  themselves  up  wholly  to 
their  own  lusts  and  pleasures.  And  yet  pleasures  are  no  orna- 
ment to  any  one,  though  they  serve  as  an  ornament  and  allure- 
ment unto  many,  so  that  many  rulers  are  addicted  to,  and 
sold  under  pleasures. 

More  directly  to  the  point.  Absalom  aimed  at  the  kingdom 
and  the  inheritance  against  his  father  David,  and  drove  him 
from  the  city,  using  the  counsel  of  Ahithophel,  who  afterwards 
hanged  himself  in  his  own  house.  So  did  the  people  of  Israel 
against  Christ,  Luke  20  :i4.  They  said,  'This  is  the  heir,  come 
let  us  kill  him,  and  the  inheritance  shall  be  ours."  Mark  12:7. 
And  so,  John  11:48,  "If  we  let  him  thus  alone  all  men  will 
believe  on  him."  And  they  used  for  this  end  the  counsel  and 
help  of  Judas,  who,  in  the  same  manner  as  Ahithophel  did, 
armed  himself  with  bands  of  men  and  coadjutors.  And  he 
also,  like  Ahithophel,  descending  into  the  house  of  his  own 


no  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

conscience,  and  being  filled  with  despair,  hanged  himself.  For 
the  name  Ahithophel  signifies,  'Brother  of  folly ;  and  this  is 
what  David  alluded  to,  2  Sam.  15:30,  when  he  said,  "O  Lord, 
I  pray  thee,  turn  the  counsel  of  Ahithophel  into  foolishness." 
As  if  he  had  said,  make  him  appear  thereby  to  be  a  fool  and 
an  infatuated  man  indeed. 

And  David's  going  out  bare-footed  and  with  his  head  cov- 
ered, 2  Sam.  15  :30,  signifies  Christ's  being  led  out  to  Golgotha, 
who  also  literally  went  out  bare-footed  and  having  his  head 
covered  with  a  crown  of  thorns  and  with  blood.  But,  allegori- 
cally,  the  head  signified  the  divinity  hidden  under  infirmity, 
and  the  bare  feet,  the  humanity  left  alone  to  itself. 

The  returning  into  the  city  after  the  slaying  of  Absalom  is 
the  resurrection  of  Christ  from  the  dead  and  his  victory  over 
the  people  of  the  synagogue.  For  it  was  then  that  they  were 
smitten  upon  the  cheek-bone  and  their  teeth  broken  in  pieces, 
as  this  same  psalm  sings,  for  they  could  no  more  devour 
Christ,  because  he  died  no  more,  Rom.  6 19,  and  death  had 
no  more  dominion  over  him.  David  saith,  therefore,  in  this 
Psalm, 

V.  I.  —  Jehovah,  hoiv  arc  mine  adversaries  increased! 
{Lord,  zvhy  are  they  increased  that  trouble  me?)  Many  are 
they  that  rise  up  against  me. 

The  scope  of  this  psalm  is  nearly  th^  same  as  that  of  the 
preceding,  and  the  subject  similar.  For  the  psalmist  begins 
here  also,  by  complaining  of  the  vain  presumption  of  the 
adversaries  of  Christ,  and  concludes  with  a  triumphant  con- 
solation, saying,  "For  thou  hast  smitten,"  etc.  v.  8 ;  and,  "Sal- 
vation belongeth  unto  the  Lord,"  etc.  v.  9.  But  he  here  treats 
of  the  matter  more  briefly,  and  of  the  patience  of  the  sufferer 
more  fully. 

For  there  are  three  things  that  most  severely  try  a  suf- 
ferer, his  solitude,  impotency,  and  despair;  which  the  three 
opposite  things  of  the  adversaries  increase  and  strengthen, 
their  multitude,  power,  and  confidence. 


PSALM  III.  Ill 

He  refers  to  his  own  solitude  and  the  multitude  of  his 
enemies,  when  he  says,  "O  Lord,  why  are  they  increased  that 
trouble  me?"  For  if  it  were  otherwise,  and  he  were  not  soli- 
tary and  left  alone,  how  could  he  suffer?  How  could  he  be 
tried,  how  could  he  be  touched,  if  he  were  supported  with  a 
greater  or  even  an  equal  number  of  defenders  contending  for 
him?  as  the  devil  saw  in  the  case  of  Job  and  said,  "Doth  Job 
fear  God  for  naught?  Hast  thou  not  made  an  hedge  about 
him,  and  about  his  house,  and  about  all  that  he  hath  on  every 
side?"  I  .'9,  lo. 

He  refers  to  his  own  impotency  and  the  power  of  his  ene- 
mies when  he  says,  "Many  are  they  that  rise  up  against  me." 
For  he  would  not  have  suffered  even  though  left  alone,  if  he 
had  not  been  weak  and  helpless  himsGlf,  and  oppressed  with 
more  powerful  enemies.  For  thus,  Samson,  though  alone, 
could  suffer  no  hurt  from  the  Philistines  whom  he  destroyed 
so  often.  Wherefore  it  is  to  be  observed  as  a  general  rule, 
that  his  suffering  is  nothing  who  has  the  means  of  returning 
the  injury  he  receives  and  of  revenging  it,  and  who  has  the 
power  of  resisting  so  as  to  prevent  himself  from  being  op- 
pressed. For  the  two  things  that  concur  to  make  a  suft'erer  are 
an  inability  either  to  revenge  or  to  resist. 

But  it  is  more  terrible  to  rise  up  against  a  person,  than 
simply  to  distress  him.  Even  as  it  is  more  terrible  to  be  help- 
less than  to  be  alone,  and  more  terrible  for  the  enemy  to  be 
powerful  and  invincible  than  for  them  to  be  many.  Therefore 
he  saith,  they  "rise  up  against  me"  as  in  Ps.  2,  they  are  excited, 
strengthened,  and  banded  together  against  me,  they  are  too 
strong  for  me,  they  by  strength  prevail  over  me,  and  I,  being 
too  weak  for  them,  totter,  fall,  and  am  laid  utterly  prostrate. 
For  this  their  superior  might  and  his  own  bereft  state  are 
signified  by  the  words  "rise  up  against  me."  As  it  was  ex- 
pressed also  in  the  former  psalm,  "The  kings  of  the  earth  stood 
up,"  for  that  signifies  the  same  power.  But  that  which  follows, 
most  strongly  and  extremely  enforces  these  two  points. 


112  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

V.  2.  —  Many  there  are  that  say  of  my  soul,  there  is  no 
help  for  him  in  (his)  God.    Selah. 

Christ  certainly  heard  these  words  while  hanging  on  the 
cross,  "He  trusteth  on  God;  let  him  deliver  him  now,  if  he 
desireth  him,"  Matt.  27 :43 ;  according  to  that  which  was  fore- 
told, Ps.  22 :7-8,  "All  they  that  see  me,  laugh  me  to  scorn : 
they  shoot  out  the  lip,  they  shake  the  head,  saying,  he  trusted 
on  Jehovah  that  he  would  deliver  him :  let  him  rescue  him, 
seeing  he  delighteth  in  him."  For  certainly  this  boasting 
confidence,  this  laughing  to  scorn,  this  derision,  this  insult- 
ing mockery,  which  are  the  triumphal  song  and  lauding  en- 
comium of  the  adversaries  over  an  enemy  when  vanquished 
and  brought  to  utter  despair,  are  the  most  bitter  and  extreme 
of  all  tribulations.  For  to  have  fallen  and  entirely  yielded  to 
many  and  powerful  enemies,  is  then  the  most  dreadful  when 
the  hope  of  rising  again,  though  in  God  himself,  is  denied ;  as  it 
is  written,  Ps.  41  15,  8,  "Mine  enemies  speak  evil  against  me," 
saying,  "And  now  that  he  lieth  he  shall  rise  up  no  more."  And 
we  know  that  Christ  was  in  this  state  of  despair,  not  that  he 
himself  despaired,  but  he  was  despaired  of  by  all,  even  by  his 
own  disciples,  that  is,  he  was  considered  in  their  hearts  as  dead, 
and  they  had  no  hope  of  his  rising  again,  as  it  is  written,  Ps, 
69:20,  "I  looked  for  some  to  take  pity,  but  there  was  none." 
Nay,  for  consolation  they  had  nothing  but  desperation  with 
the  most  bitter  derision,  which  is  diabolical. 

In  the  Hebrew  the  expression  is  simply  "in  God,"  without 
the  pronoun  his,  which  seems  to  me  to  give  clearness  and  force 
to  the  expression.  As  if  he  had  said,  they  say  of  me,  that 
I  am  not  only  deserted  and  oppressed  by  all  creatures,  but 
that  even  God,  who  is  present  with  all  things,  preserves  all 
things,  and  protects  all  things,  forsakes  me  as  the  only  thing 
out  of  the  whole  universe  that  lie  does  not  preserve.  Which 
kind  of  temptation  Job  seems  to  have  tasted  when  he  says, 
"Why  hast  thou  set  me  as  a  mark  for  thee,"  7  :20.  For  there 
is  no  temptation,  no  not  of  the  whole  world  together,  nor  of 


PSALM  III.  113 

all  hell  combined  in  one,  equal  to  that  in  which  God  stands 
contrary  to  a  man ;  which  temptation  Jeremiah  prays  against, 
17:17,  "Be  not  a  terror  unto  me;  thou  art  my  refuge  in- the 
day  of  evil:"  and  concerning  which  also  the  sixth  psalm,  v.  i, 
following  saith,  "O  Lord,  rebuke  me  not  in  thine  anger ;"  and 
we  find  the  same  petitions  through  the  v/hole  Psalter.  This 
temptation  is  wholly  unsupportable,  and  is  truly  hell  itself, 
as  it  is  said  in  Ps.  6:5,  "For  in  death  there  is  no  remembrance 
of  thee,"  etc.  In  a  word,  if  you  have  never  experienced  it, 
you  can.  never  form  any  idea  of  it  whatever. 

Observe  also  the  modesty,  yea,  the  peculiar  state  of  mind 
of  him  who  is  under  this  temptation.  He  says,  interrogatively, 
"Why  are  they  increased  ?"  wherein  he  desires  to  prove  himself 
innocent,  and  to  show  that  he  suffered  undeservedly.  Yet 
he  does  not  dare  to  accuse  them  and  to  address  them  with  the 
appellation  of  unrighteous  and  sinners,  but  using  an  ambiguous 
expression  he  says,  "why  are  they  increased  that  trouble  me?" 
But  at  the  conclusion,  after  his  victory,  he  firmly  and  with 
confidence  calls  them  sinners  and  ungodly,  saying,  'Tliou  hast 
smitten  all  those  that  are  mine  enemies  without  a  cause,  as 
our  text  has  it :  thou  hast  broken  the  teeth  of  the  ungodly.' 
For  while  he  is  under  the  hand  of  these  implacably  raging 
ones,  he  alone  is  the  sinner,  and  all  others  are  righteous ;  and 
while  they  are  all,  according  to  the  will  of  God,  fighting  to- 
gether against  him,  nothing  is  heard  but  this  unutterable 
groan,  in  which,  being  imperceptibly  aided  by  the  spirit,  he 
inquires  and  says,  "why  do  so  many  of  them  rise  up  against 
me,  one  person?"  But  David  himself  in  this  part  of  his  history, 
laboring  under  the  same  feelings,  says,  2  Sam.  15:26,  "But 
if  he  say  thus,  I  have  no  delight  in  thee ;  behold  here  am  I,  let 
him  do  to  me  as  seemeth  good  unto  him."  O  great  self-denial, 
to  choose  a  God  even  when  contrary  to  him !  etc. 

At  the  end  of  this  verse  we  have  the  Hebrew  word 
SELAH,  which,  as  it  will  often  occur,  we  will  now  consider 
once  for  all. 


114  LUTHEU  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

Concerning  the  Hebrew  zvord  ''selah/' 

It  is  not  at  this  day  clearly  known  what  this  word  signifies, 
or  what  its  true  meaning  is.  The  seventy  translators  have 
rendered  it  by  the  Greek  word  diapsahna,  which  the  sainted 
Augustine  interprets,  a  pause,  an  interruption  or  discontinua- 
tion of  the  psalmody,  as,  on  the  contrary,  he  interprets  sump 
saluia,  a  making  or  continuation  of  the  psalmody.  He  ob- 
serves also,  that  wherever  diapsahna  or  sela  is  put,  a  change 
of  the  subject  or  of  the  persons  is  signified.  And  with  him 
Cassidorus  agrees. 

The  blessed  Jerome  to  Marcella,  adducing  many  authori- 
ties from  Origen,  thinks  that  the  v/ord  m.ore  truly  signifies  a 
connection  of  the  preceding  things  in  the  Psalm  with  those 
that  succeed,  or,  certainly,  that  those  things  which  are  said 
are  eternal.  Hence  Aquila,  a  most  diligent  expounder  of  the 
Hebrew  words,  has  translated  it,  'ever,'  or  'for  ever.' 

Burgensis  on  the  eighty-third  Psalm  says  that  it  has  no 
signification  at  all,  but  is  only  a  supplement  to  the  music,  and 
refers  to  nothing  but  the  music  to  which  it  is  joined.  He 
denies  that  it  has  any  such  signification  as  'for  ever,'  that 
therefore  it  is  found  no  v/here  but  in  the  Psalms,  because  they 
are  canticles,  and  sung  or  uttered  to  music,  and  that  it  is 
found  in  one  canticle  of  Habakkuk,  and  once  in  that  canticle, 
in  this  passage,  "And  the  Holy  One  from  mount  Paran." 
Habak.  3  13 . 

Burgensis  is  closely  followed  by  a  more  recent  writer, 
Stapulensis,  who  thinks  that  selah  v/as  of  the  same  signi- 
fication with  the  Hebrews,  as  the  vowels,  evo\'ae,  are  with 
us  in  our  ecclesiastical  responses,  which  are  the  signature  to 
a  pause  or  final  tone,  and  signify,  "For  ever  and  ever.  Amen  ;" 
but  they  are  not  sung  with  the  response,  though  they  are  joined 
to  it  in  the  music. 

John  Reuchlin  in  his  Hebrew  Rudiments  brings  forward 
two  opinions.  The  one,  that  of  Jonathan  the  Chaldean,  who, 
he  says,  translated  selah,  'in  the  power  of  ages.'     To  which 


PSALM  III.  115 

translation,  Rabbi  Eleazar  added,  'that  to  whatever  portion 
of  the  holy  scripture  Selah  is,  added,  that  scripture  will  have 
no  end,  either  in  this  world  or  in  that  which  is  to  come.'  The 
other  opinion  is  that  of  Abraham  Ben  Esdras,  who  thinks  that 
SELAH  is  of  the  same  signification  as  'verily'  or  'truly ;'  and  he 
says  that  this  interpretation  was  received  by  the  Hebrews,  and 
that  in  their  opinion  also  it  has  no  meaning,  except  that  it  is 
joined  to  the  music,  as  Burgensis  has  also  observed. 

Such  a  diversity  of  opinions,  therefore,  causes  me  to  con- 
fess that  I  know  not  which  of  them  comes  the  nearest  to  the 
truth.  But  the  arguments  which  move  me  to  dissent  from  all 
that  they  have  advanced  are  these. 

First,  the  examples  taken  from  the  Psalms  and  from  Hab- 
akkuk  do  not  agree  together.  For  the  selah  which  is  found 
in  the  latter,  though  it  favors  the  opinion  of  Augustine,  yet  it 
is  against  Jerome,  because  it  is  the  subject  that  is  changed, 
not  the  person ;  nor  are  the  things  which  precede  and  those 
which  follow  connected  by  it.  And  yet,  this  same  instance  is 
against  them  both,  because,  it  is  sometimes  placed  at  the  end 
of  the  Psalms  and  sometimes  repeated  in  the  midst  of  the 
words  of  the  same  person  in  the  same  continued  exhortation, 
as  may  be  seen  in  the  third  and  fourth  Psalms,  for  at  the  end 
of  the  third  Psalm  it  is  said,  "Thy  blessing  is  upon  thy  people, 
Selah :"  and,  in  the  fourth  Psalm  it  is  said,  "Commune  with 
your  own  heart  upon  your  bed ;  Selah.  Offer  the  sacrifice  of 
righteousness."  Here  is  a  continued  exhortation  of  the  same 
person  to  the  same  persons,  and  yet  selah  is  found  in  the  mid- 
dle of  it,  which  is  against  Augustine,  and  that  it  is  found  at  the 
end  of  the  preceding  Psalm  is  against  Jerome. 

If  the  opinion  of  each  be  defended  in  any  manner,  either 
with  respect  to  Selah  signifying  a  connection  or  a  distinction 
of  subjects  or  persons,  even  then  no  reason  can  be  given  why 
it  should  not  equally  be  put  in  all  the  Psalms  where  there  is 
either  a  connection  or  distinction  of  subjects  or  persons ;  for 
it  might  in  many  instances  be  put  with  greater  propriety  for 


Il6  LUTHEE  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

that  purpose,  than  where  it  is  now  found,  as  is  obvious  to 
every  observant  reader. 

But  that  it  does  not  signify  'for  ever,'  as  Burgensis  rightly 
thinks,  is  evidently  proved  even  by  the  verse  now  before  us, 
which  saith,  "there  is  no  help  for  him  in  his  god.  Selah."  For 
who,  I  pray,  would  be  so  mad  as  to  assert  that  Christ,  or  any 
righteous  man,  could  be  in  eternal  tribulation  without  any 
salvation  of  God?  for  Ps.  8:5,  saith  that  it  was  'for  a  little 
time,'  and  short,  as  we  shall  hereafter  see.  And  in  Ps.  83  :8, 
it  is  said,  "Assur  is  also  joined  with  them :  they  have  holpen 
the  children  of  Lot.  Selah."  Did  then  Assur  help  the  children 
of  Lot  for  ever?  In  a  word  Selah,  received  in  that  sense, 
will  accord  with  very  few  verses  indeed.  For  when  it  is  said, 
Ps.  4:2,  "And  seek  after  lying,"  and,  v.  4,  "Be  filled  with 
compunction  on  your  beds.  Selah."  does  it  signify  that  the 
sons  of  men  shall  be  filled  with  compunction  and  shall  seek 
after  leasing  'for  ever?' 

The  remaining  opinion,  therefore,  is  that  of  Burgensis, 
which  I  neither  approve  nor  disapprove,  though  it  may  be  said 
against  him,  why  should  this  appendage  of  music  be  affixed  to 
these,  and  not  to  other  passages  also  ? 

I,  in  the  mean  time,  will  stand  by  the  septuagint  trans- 
lators, who  in  many  instances  seem  to  have  had  a  certain 
divine  discernment,  though  they  frequently  departed  from  the 
literal  propriety  of  the  original  words.  As  for  instance,  how 
clearly  and  appropriately  did  they  render  that  passage,  Ps.  2:12, 
"Lay  hold  on  discipline,"  which  is  in  Hebrev/,  though  some- 
what obscurely  expressed,  "Kiss  the  Son?"  For  truly,  to 
embrace  Jesus  Christ  is  to  embrace  discipline  and  the  cross, 
and,  as  Paul  is  wont  to  say,  'to  have  fellowhip  with  Christ 
in  his  sufferings.'  For  otherwise,  many  may  confess  that  they 
know  Christ,  while  in  works  they  deny  him.  But,  not  he  that 
talks  about  Christ,  but  he  that  lives  according  to  Christ  cruci- 
fied, shall  be  saved.  And  to  live  according  to  Christ  cruci- 
fied, is  to  be  crucified ;  as  Paul  says.  Gal.  2  :20,  "I  am  crucified 


PSALM  III. 


117 


with  Christ:  nevertheless  I  Hve:  yet  not  I  but  Christ  Hveth 
in  me."  Thus  also  with  respect  to  their  diapsalnias  what 
they  meant  to  convey  by  it  as  to  grammatical  signification  I 
know  not ;  I  shall  divine  its  mystical  meaning. 

And  they  seem  after  their  manner  to  intimate  a  mystery 
when  they  made  bold  to  interpret  it  'a.  division,'  'a  pause,'  or 
'a  resting ;'  which  Selah,  in  the  Hebrew,  does  not  signify,  nor 
were  they  a  little  moved  by  the  consideration  of  the  certainty, 
that  no  one  letter,  point,  or  iota,  is  written  in  the  scriptures  in 
vain.     Matt.  5:18. 

According  to  my  bold  way,  therefore,  I  imagine  this  'pause' 
to  signify  a  certain  particular  affection  of  the  heart,  which 
the  person  feels  while  singing  or  meditating  on  the  Psalms, 
under  the  movings  of  the  Spirit,  which  afifection  of  mind,  as  it 
is  not  in  our  own  power,  cannot  be  commanded  by  us  in  every 
psalm  nor  in  every  verse,  but  only  as  the  Holy  Spirit  shall  move 
us.  Therefore,  the  word  Selah  is  introduced  confusedly  and 
altogether  without  discernable  order,  to  show,  that  the  motion 
of  the  Spirit  is  secret,  unknown  to  us,  and  by  no  means  possi- 
ble to  be  foreseen  by  us;  and  that,  wherever  it  comes,  it  re- 
quires us  to  omit  the  words  of  the  psalms,  that  the  mind  may 
be  in  a  pausing  and  quiet  frame,  and  in  a  state  for  receiving 
the  illumination  or  feeling  conveyed  to  us.  Thus,  in  this 
verse,  where  that  singular  temptation  of  the  spirit  is  spoken 
of,  under  which  an  angry  God  is  sustained,  and  not  the  creature 
only,  the  prophet  is  moved  to  contemplate  and  dwell  upon 
it  with  a  deep  affection  of  the  mind. 

Such  is  my  opinion,  without  any  prejudice  against  the 
judgment  of  others.     And  let  this  suffice  concerning  the  word 

SELAII. 

V.  3.  —  But  thou,  O  Jchoi'ah,  art  a  shield  about  mc  {my 
helper) ;  my  glory,  and  the  lifter  up  of  my  head. 

David  here  contrasts  three  things  with  three;  helper,  with 
many  troubling ;  glory,  with  many  rising  up ;  and  the  lifter  up 
of  the  head,  with  the  blaspheming  and  insulting. 


Il8  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

Therefore,  the  person  here  represented  is  indeed  alone  in 
the  estimation  of  men,  and  even  according  to  his  own  feeHngs ; 
but  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  in  a  spiritual  view,  he  is  by  no 
means  alone,  but  protected  with  the  greatest  abundance  of 
help,  as  Christ  saith,  John  16:32,  "Behold,  the  hour  cometh 
when  ye  shall  leave  me  alone :  and  yet  I  am  not  alone,  because 
the  Father  is  with  me.' 

Hence  such  an  one  is  weak  and  oppressed  according  to 
outward  appearance  and  in  the  sight  of  men,  but  before  God 
and  in  the  spirit  he  is  most  strong;  and  therefore  he  glories 
in  the  power  of  God  with  all  confidence,  like  the  apostle,  2 
Cor.  12:10,  9,  'When  I  am  weak  then  am  I  strong:  most 
gladly  therefore  will  I  glory  in  my  infirmities,  that  the  power 
of  Christ  may  rest  upon  me.'  And  Ps.  68:9,  'Thou  didst 
confirm  thine  inheritance,  when  it  was  weary. 

Thus  according  to  man  and  the  views  of  the  unwise,  such  a 
person  is  in  despair,  and  there  is  no  salvation  left  for  him  in 
God.  But  in  the  "secret  place  of  thunder"  he  is  heard  and 
lifted  up,  according  to  Ps.  81  :7,  "Thou  calledst  in  trouble 
and  I  delivered  thee,  I  answered  thee  in  the  secret  place  of 
thunder."  And  truly  it  is  in  the  "secret  place"  of  thunder, 
for  this  thunder-storm  of  tribulation  so  hides  the  knowledge 
of  our  being  heard  and  of  salvation,  that  any  thing  but  salva- 
tion appears  in  view;  and  not  a  hearing  God,  but  an  angry 
God  only  is  felt. 

He  who  has  understood  and  experienced  these  things  will 
also  know  well  how  foolishly  and  rashly  many  teach,  that 
man  by  nature  can  love  God  above  all  things;  but  there  is 
no  man,  left  to  his  own  nature,  who  does  not  dread  death 
and  the  punishments  that  follow  death,  being  unable  to  en- 
dure the  hell  and  the  wrath  of  God  let  in  upon  him.  And 
God  cannot  be  above  all  things,  unless  all  these  things  be 
overcome  by  the  love  of  God. 

Hence  the  words  contained  in  this  verse  are  not  the  words 
of  nature,  but  of  grace;  not  of  free-will,  but  of  the  spirit  of 


PSALM  III.  119 

Strong  faith,  which,  even  though  seeing  God,  as  in  the  darkness 
of  the  storm  of  death  and  hell,  a  deserting  God,  acknowledges 
him  a  sustaining  God ;  when  seeing  him  as  a  persecuting 
God,  acknowledges  him  a  helping  God ;  when  seeing  him  as  a 
condemner,  acknowledges  him  a  Saviour.  Thus  this  faith  does 
not  judge  of  things  as  they  seem,  or  are  felt,  like  a  horse  and 
a  mule  which  have  no  understanding,  Ps.  32  :g,  but  it  under- 
stands things  which  are  not  seen,  for  "hope  that  is  seen  is 
not  hope;  for  what  a  man  seeth  why  doth  he  yet  hope  for?" 
Rom.  8  :24. 

Of  the  same  import  with  the  present  passage  is  that  also 
which  is  written,  Ps.  54:3,  'For  strangers,  (behold  here  are 
many  ,and  strangers,  that  is,  ungodly  and  advarsaries),  are 
risen  up  against  me  that  is,  against  me  deserted  and  alone, 
and  violent  men  have  sought  after  my  soul.  Behold  there 
are  strong  ones,  and  they  prevail  against  the  one  that  is  weak : 
they  have  not  set  God  before  them."  As  if  he  had  said,  they 
do  not  believe  that  God  is  with  me,  but  that  I  am  in  despair, 
and  therefore  they  imagine  that  I  am  hated  by  God  himself. 

Likewise  Ps.  86:14,  "O  God,  the  proud  are  risen  against 
me,  and  a  company  of  violent  men  have  sought  after  my 
soul ;  and  have  not  set  thee  before  them."  That  is,  I  am 
left  alone  and  am  helpless,  and  they  are  multiplied  and  op- 
press me;  I  am  impotent  and  distressed,  and  they  are  power- 
ful, and  rise  and  stand  up  against  me.  I  am  in  despair,  and 
they  say  there  is  no  help  for  me  in  God ;  and  they  are  confident 
and  glory  in  their  victory  over  me. 

Hence  we  see  that  the  life  of  a  righteous  man  in  this  world, 
after  the  example  of  Christ,  is  made  up  of  these  three  parts 
of  the  cross,  solitude,  impotency,  and  despair;  that  he  may 
thus  be  a  proper  object  to  find  in  God,  a  helper,  a  glorifier  and 
a  lifter-up  of  his  head.  Thus  Joshua  with  the  children  of 
Israel,  feigned  a  flight  in  the  war  against  the  people  of  Ai, 
8  :5-i4,  and  by  that  very  means  destroyed  them  utterly.  And 
thus  the  children  of  Ijenjan.iin  were  slain  by  the  children  of 


120  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

Israel,  Judges  20 :32-35,  in  the  same  manner,  for  the  latter 
feigned  a  flight,  and,  returning  afterwards,  slew  the  former 
almost  completely.  For  the  cross  and  suffering  are  most  en- 
snaring, and  are  most  destroying  flights  to  the  world,  and 
the  devil,  the  world,  and  the  flesh  are  not  overcome  by  any 
powers  more  effectually  than  these,  for  here,  by  the  wonderful 
counsel  of  God,  while  they  conquer,  they  are  conquered. 

It  is  clear,  however,  that  "glory"  in  this  passage  is  to  be 
received  as  signifying  'glorying,'  or  'the  thing  gloried  in,' 
according  to  a  figure  of  speech  used  in  the  scriptures,  whereby 
it  is  said,  Jer.  17:17,  "Thou  art  my  refuge  in  the  day  of  evil," 
and  also,  Ps.  22  :g,  "Thou  didst  make  me  trust  when  I  was 
upon  my  mother's  breasts,"  and  again,  Ps.  142 15,  "I  said, 
Thou  art  my  refuge,"  tliat  is,  thou  art  that  concerning  which, 
and  in  which,  I  hope.  Thus  my  God  is  my  mercy,  thus  the 
Lord  is  my  light  and  my  salvation,  etc. 

In  the  same  manner  that  it  is  said  here,  thou  art  "my 
glory,"  that  is,  that  in  which  I  glory.  So  that  the  sense  is,  they 
trust  in  their  own  glory,  and  glory  in  the  multitude  of  their 
riches,  Ps.  49:7,  (Vulgate),  and  their  glory  is  their  strength; 
but  I  do  not  glory  in  my  strength,  and  yet  I  am  not  confounded 
in  the  impoten.cy  v/hich  I  suffer;  but  I  glory  in  thy  strength, 
and  thy  power  is  my  glory,  according  to  Ps.  89:17,  "For  thou 
art  the  glory  of  their  strength,  and  also  Jer.  9:23,  24,  "Let  not 
the  wise  man  glory  in  his  wisdom,  neither  let  the  mighty  man 
glory  in  his  might ;  let  not  the  rich  man  glory  in  his  riches  :  but 
let  him  that  glorieth,  glory  in  this,  that  he  hath  understanding 
and  knoweth  me,"  etc.  And  so  again,  i  Cor.  1:31,  "He  that 
glorieth  let  him  glory  in  the  Lord.' 

Now  if  any  one  should  wish  to  enter  farther  into  gram- 
matical particulars,  —  that  cabod  in  this  passage  signifies, 
properly,  that  which  the  Greeks  express  by  dosa,  glory,  and  the 
Latins  by  gloria,  glory ;  and  that  therefore,  it  is  a  different 
thing  from  glorying,  which  the  Greeks  are  considered  to  ex- 
press by  koiicluDiia,  and  the  Hebrew  by  pheer  or  tiprera; 


PSALM  III.  121 

—  if  the  passage,  I  say,  be  so  received,  it  will  not  even  then 
be  properly  understood,  for  it  will  then  make  God  to  be  the 
'glory'  of  the  righteous  man,  in  the  same  way  as  Paul,  i  Cor. 
11:7,  calls  man  "the  glory  of  God,"  and  woman  "the  glory 
of  man."  Because,  God  is  glorified,  honored,  and  praised  in 
his  saints  whom  he  has  redeemed ;  and  on  the  other  hand,  they 
also  are  glorified  on  whom  God  has  condescended  to  bestow 
so  great  a  benefit,  while  they  confess  concerning  themselves 
that  they  were  holpen,  not  by  their  own  strength,  but  by  the 
power  of  God. 

But  there  is  to  me  very  little  difference  in  these  two  words, 
especially  with  respect  to  the  present  passage,  except  that 
'glory'  being  unconnected  with  the  feelings  of  the  person 
glorified,  signifies  the  good  opinion  of  others  concerning  him, 
and  his  fame  and  renown ;  but  'glorying'  signifies  the  afifection 
of  mind  in  the  person  glorifying,  and  his  confidence  in  God. 
Let  each  one  adopt  that  acceptation  of  the  passage  which 
pleases  him  most,  because,  in  the  spirit  and  before  God,  there 
can  neither  be  glory  without  glorifying,  nor  glorifying  without 
glory.  For  in  order  to  glory  and  happily  boast  in  God,  thy 
opinion  of  thyself  as  to  what  thou  art  in  the  sight  of  God, 
must  be  good,  and  thou  must  feel  and  firmly  believe  it  to  be  so ; 
and  then,  God  being  thy  glory,  and  known  and  believed  to  be 
so,  makes  thee  rejoice  and  glory  in  God.  For  who  may  not 
glory,  exult,  and,  despising  all  things  else,  unspeakably  re- 
joice, who  knows  and  believes  that  his  opinion  of  himself,  as 
to  what  he  is  in  the  sight  of  God,  is  good?  that  is,  that  God 
thinks  well  of  him,  is  well  pleased  with  him,  is  willing  to 
help  him,  will  fight  for  him,  and  will  give  him  favor  in  the 
sight  of  all. 

But  again,  it  is  not  enough  that  thy  opinion  of  thy  self  as  to 
what  thou  art  in  the  sight  of  God,  be  good ;  that  is,  tliat  thou 
art  loved  by  him,  praised  by  him,  and  well  pleasing  to  him, 
that  is,  that  thou  art  in  his  glory,  unless  thou  art  and  believe 
this.     And  be  assured  that,  when  thou  knowest  and  believest 


122  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

this,  glorying  and  joy  of  conscience  cannot  by  any  means  be 
wanting.  Whence  it  is  certain  that  it  must  of  necessity  be, 
that  the  glorifying  of  God  and  the  glorying  of  the  righteous 
must  go  together;  as  we  find  it  in  Ps.  106:47,  "That  we  may 
glory  in  thy  praise;"  so  that  God  is  both  the  glory  and  the 
glorying  of  the  righteous,  their  'glory'  is  in  God,  and  the 
'glorying'  is  in  their  own  conscience.  For  the  'glory'  is  our 
good  opinion  concerning  another  but  the  'glorying'  is  our 
rejoicing  and  confidence  in  that  object  of  our  glory. 

You  see  therefore,  what  great  faith  and  confidence  are 
manifested  in  these  words.  Although,  saith  he,  many  rise  up 
against  me,  imagine  evil  against  me,  and  think  the  worst  of 
things  concerning  me,  yet  I  know  that  I  shall  not  be  con- 
founded. The  Lord  is  my  glory,  and  I  firmly  trust  that  his 
thoughts  concerning  me  are  most  favorable,  and  I  glory  in 
this  my  persuasion. 

"The  lifter  up  of  my  head."  Though  I  know  that  this 
"head"  is  received  by  some  as  signifying  Christ  himself,  and 
also  the  mind  itself  of  Christ,  yet  this  acceptation  seems  to 
be  figurative.  Therefore,  according  to  my  bold  way,  I  rather 
think  that  it  should  be  received  as  signifying  more  simply,  and 
by  a  figure  of  speech  most  common  in  the  scriptures,  'glori- 
fication.' So  that  the  plain  meaning  of  the  whole  passage 
should  be,  "The  lifter  up  of  my  head,"  that  is,  he  has  lifted 
me  up  and  set  me  on  high,  according  to  2  Kings  25  :27f.  "Evil 
Merodach,  king  of  Babylon,  in  the  year  that  he  began  to  reign, 
did  lift  up  the  head  of  Jehoiachin,  king  of  Judah,  out  of  prison  ; 
and  he  spake  kindly  to  him,  and  set  his  throne  above  the  throne 
of  the  kings  that  were  with  him  in  Babylon."  Here  it  is  clear 
that  'lifting  up  the  head'  signifies  to  exalt  the  whole  man, 
and  to  place  him  in  a  state  of  glory  and  in  a  kingdom.  And 
so  Christ,  who  was  represented  in  a  figure  by  Jehoiachin,  king 
of  Judah,  when  he  had  died  and  descended  into  hell,  and  it  was 
now  said  of  him  that  all  was  despair,  and  that  there  was  no 
hope  for  him  in  God,  was  soon  after  raised  up  by  the  right 


PSALM  III.  123 

hand  of  God  from  the  depths  of  the  earth  above  the  heavens, 
and  above  all  powers,  and  was  made  King  of  kings,  and  Lord 
of  lords!  Thus  it  is  said  in  the  same  manner,  Ps.  110:7,  "^^ 
will  drink  of  the  brook  in  the  way,  therefore  will  he  lift  up  the 
head,"  that  is,  shall  be  exalted  above  all. 

And  as  'to  lift  up  the  head,'  in  the  scriptures,  signifies  a 
kingdom  and  power,  so  also,  with  no  dissimilar  figure  of 
speech,  to  lift  up  the  hand  signifies  to  prevail  and  to  be  power- 
ful in  working,  as  in  Is.  49 :22,  ''Behold,  I  will  lift  up  mine 
hand  to  the  nations,  and  set  up  my  ensign  to  the  peoples ;  and 
they  shall  bring  thy  sons  in  their  bosom,"  etc.  And  so  also  Ps. 
74 :3,  'Lift  up  thy  hand  against  their  pride.'  And  in  the  same 
manner,  'to  lift  up  the  feet'  signifies  'to  go  quickly,'  as  we 
have  it.  Gen.  29:1,  where  we  read,  "Then  Jacob  went  on  his 
journey,"  which  is  in  the  Hebrew  'and  Jacob  lifted  up  his  feet.' 
And  we  are  accustomed  in  the  German  language  also,  by  a 
figure  of  expression,  to  exhort  those  whom  we  would  have  to 
go  quickly,  by  saying  'Lift  up  your  feet.' 

I  have  dwelt  upon  these  particulars  somewhat  at  length, 
because,  a  great  part  of  the  knowledge  of  what  is  written  lies 
in  the  figures  of  speech ;  and  especially  in  the  Holy  Scriptures, 
which  have  their  peculiar  idioms,  an  ignorance  of  which,  some- 
times raises  great  clouds  where  there  is  the  clearest  day.  To 
have  the  'head  lifted  up,'  therefore,  is  to  be  exalted  to  the 
station  of  a  king,  and  to  be  glorified. 

Continually  would  I  inculcate  and  bring  to  remembrance 
that  these  are  the  words  of  faith,  hope,  and  love ;  whereby 
we  are  instructed  in  Christ,  that  we  faint  not  in  every  strait, 
for  all  these  things,  as  the  apostle  saith,  Rom.  15  14,  'are  written 
for  our  instruction  and  consolation,  that  we  through  patience 
might  have  hope.'  For  it  is  a  hard  matter  and  a  work  requir- 
ing the  power  of  divine  grace  to  believe  in  God  as  the  lifter 
up  of  our  head  and  our  crowner  in  the  midst  of  death  and 
hell.  For  this  exaltation  is  a  thing  hidden,  and  that  which  is 
seen,  is  only  despair,  and  no  help  in  God. 

Therefore  we  are  here  taught  'to  believe  in  hope  against 


124  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

hope,'  which  wisdom  of  the  cross  is  in  this  day  deeply  hidden 
in  a  profound  mystery.  For  there  is  no  other  way  into  heaven, 
than  this  cross  of  Christ.  Therefore  we  must  take  heed  that 
the  active  hfe  with  its  works,  and  the  speculative  with  its 
speculations,  do  not  delude  us :  they  are  each  very  pleasing 
and  quiet,  and  are  on  that  account  the  more  perilous,  until 
they  be  disturbed  and  tempered  by  the  cross.  The  cross  is 
the  safest  of  all  things.  Blessed  is  he  who  understands ! 
V.  4.  —  /  cry  (cried)  unto  Jehovah  with  my  voice,  and  he 
answercth  {heard)  me  out  of  his  holy  hill.     Selah. 

In  Hebrew  the  verbs  are  future  as  Jerome  translates  them, 
T  will  cry.  and  'he  shall  hear,'  and  this  pleases  me  better  than 
the  perfect  tense,  for  they  are  the  words  of  one  triumphing 
in  and  praising  and  glorifying  God,  and  giving  thanks  unto 
him  who  sustained,  preserved,  and  lifted  him  up,  according  as 
he  had  hoped  in  the  preceding  verse.  For  it  is  usual  with 
those  that  triumph  and  rejoice  to  speak  of  those  things  which 
they  have  done  and  suffered  and  to  sing  a  song  of  praise  unto 
their  helper  and  deliverer,  as  in  Ps.  66:16,  "Come,  and  hear,  all 
ye  that  fear  God,  and  I  will  declare  what  he  hath  done  for 
my  soul.  I  cried  unto  him  with  my  mouth,  and  he  was  ex- 
tolled with  my  tongue."  Also  Ps.  81  :i,  "Sing  aloud  unto 
God  our  strength."  Again,  Ex.  15:1,  "I  will  sing  unto  Jeho- 
vah, for  he  hath  triumphed  gloriously."  And  so  here,  being 
filled  with  an  overflowing  sense  of  gratitude  and  joy,  he  sings 
of  his  being  heard,  of  his  having  slept  and  risen  again,  of 
his  enemies  being  smitten,  and  of  the  teeth  of  the  ungodly 
being  broken. 

This  it  is  which  causes  the  change ;  for  he  who  hitherto  had 
been  addressing  God  in  the  second  person,  changes  on  a  sudden 
his  address  to  others  concerning  God,  in  the  third  person, 
saying,  "and  he  heard  me,"  not  'and  thou  heardest  me;'  and 
also  "I  cried  unto  the  Lord,"  not  'I  cried  unto  thee,'  for  he 
wants  to  make  all  know  what  benefits  God  has  heaped  upon 
him,  which  is  peculiar  to  a  grateful  mind. 

However  that  expression  of  the  Hebrew  in  the  future,  'I 


PSALM  III.  125 

will  cry,'  and,  'he  shall  hear  me,'  carries  greater  force  with 
it  than  'I  cried,'  in  the  perfect;  though  the  future  does  not 
exclude  the  perfect,  but  very  forcibly  includes  it.  And  that 
I  may  set  forth  the  mind  of  the  speaker  if  I  can,  his  feelings 
seem  to  be  something  like  this.  'I,  who  have  now  experienced 
how  good  and  sweet  the  Lord  is,  how  far  he  is  from  forsak- 
ing and  despising  those  who  cry  unto  him,  how  faithfully  he 
sustains,  preserves,  and  lifts  up  all  who  call  upon  him,  I  who 
have  experienced  these  things,  will  so  carry  myself  tov/ards 
him  henceforth,  that  I  will  flee  unto  him  only  with  the  greatest 
confidence.  I  will  not  be  afraid  of  many  hundreds  of  thousands 
of  people ;  for  I  am  prepared  to  hope  in  him,  even  though  many 
more  and  greater  things  are  to  be  borne  than  those  which  I 
have  borne  already;  as  Job  13:15  saith,  "Though  he  slay  me, 
yet  will  I  trust  in  him."  This  is  that  God  in  whom  all  may 
confidently  trust,  and  concerning  whom  they  may  be  assured 
no  one  has  any  reason  to  despair.  O  unhappy  they,  who, 
when  broken  with  either  the  multitude  or  the  magnitude  of 
evils,  do  not  understand  how  powerfully,  how  wonderfully, 
and  how  gloriously  this  God  saves  those  that  cry  unto  him !' 

That  such  were  his  feelings  is  manifest  from  what  follows, 
'T  will  not  be  afraid  of  ten  thousands  of  the  people."  And 
again,  "Salvation  is  of  the  Lord."  And  so  also  with  the  same 
feelings  he  says,  Ps.  34:1,  'T  will  bless  the  Lord  at  all  times." 
As  if  he  had  said,  'Fool  that  I  have  been !  for  hitherto  I  have 
blessed  the  Lord  at  one  time  only,  that  is,  in  the  time  of  pros- 
perity and  quiet,  for  I  did  not  know  how  powerful  he  was 
in  the  time  of  adversity  also ;  therefore,  from  this  time  for- 
ward I  will  bless  him  in  the  time  of  evil  also.'  For  there  are 
some  who  will  praise  God  at  the  time  when  all  things  go  well, 
according  to  that  word,  'He  will  praise  thee  when  thou  doest 
good  unto  him.'  Ps.  49  :i8.  But  in  the  time  of  temptation  they 
so  draw  back,  that  they  will  flee  unto  any  thing  rather  than 
unto  God.  In  a  word,  they  cannot  even  cry  unto  him,  much 
less  praise  and  bless  him. 

But  we  are  here  taught  that  in  the  time  of  the  cross  we 


126  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

ought  to  sing  forth  that  of  Ps.  i8  :3,  "I  will  call  upon  Jehovah, 
who  is  v/orthy  to  be  praised ;  so  shall  I  be  saved  from  mine 
enemies :"  that  God  may  then  be  precious  unto  thee  and  be 
lOved  by  thee,  when  he  seems  to  be  the  most  displeasing  and 
the  most  worthy  of  being  hated.  This  is  the  love  of  God  that 
is  pure  and  solid.  And  this  is  what  Is.  saith,  48  -.g,  "For  my 
praise  will  I  refrain  for  thee,  that  I  cut  thee  not  off."  For  the 
heart  is  bound  and  restrained  with  this  praise  in  the  midst 
of  the  waters  and  storms  of  temptation,  that  it  fall  not  away 
from  the  love  of  God.  But  all  these  things  are  the  operations 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  not  of  nature ;  they  all  were  perfectly 
accomplished  in  Christ,  and  are  wrought  and  exemplified  in 
all  who  are  Christ's. 

As  to  the  words  "my  voice,"  Augustine,  and  after  him 
Cassidorus,  think  they  are  not  to  be  understood  as  meaning 
the  corporeal  voice,  but  'the  voice  of  the  heart,'  that  is,  the 
voice  of  the  heart  that  is  truly  pure;  and  they  are  led  to  this 
interpretation  of  the  v/ords  by  the  pronoun  "my,"  because, 
that  is  not  the  man's  real  voice,  which  is  interrupted  by  im- 
pure thoughts  when  in  prayer.  I  think  this  is  the  true  meaning 
of  the  passage.  And  yet  I  do  not  consider  that  the  corporeal 
voice  is  excluded,  because,  when  the  feelings  are  powerful, 
the  voice  cannot  contain  itself,  but  will  burst  forth  into  words 
and  expressions.  For  even  Christ,  when  on  the  cross,  cried 
out  with  the  natural  voice,  and  has  taught  us  also  to  cry  out 
in  our  straits,  so  that  we  may  thus  cry  unto  God  with  all  our 
powers,  both  inward  and  outward. 

He  says,  "From  his  holy  hill."  I  find  this  "hill"  to  be 
variously  understood.  Some  understand  Christ  here  as  speak- 
ing concerning  himself,  others  concerning  his  most  high  divin- 
ity, and  others  give  the  passage  different  acceptations.  I  am 
best  pleased  by  understanding  it  to  signify  the  "hill"  of  his 
most  high  divinity ;  only,  you  are  to  observe  I  speak  in  my 
bold  way  that  this  "hill"  has  no  name.  For  in  the  second 
Psalm  he  spoke  of  the  "holy  hill  of  Zion,"  upon  which  he  was 
set  as  King;  and  therefore  the  "hill"  v/as  there  to  have  a  name, 


PSALM  III.  127 

because  he  could  not  rule  upon  it  without  its  being  known  by 
name  .  But  this  "hill"  from  which  he  is  heard,  is  unnameable 
and  has  neither  form  nor  name. 

And  I  conceive  that  by  this  we  are  all  taus^ht  that  in  the 
time  of  temptation  we  ought  to  hope  for  the  divine  help  from 
above ;  but  that  the  time,  manner,  and  nature  of  the  help  are 
unknown  to  us ;  that  so,  there  may  be  room  for  faith  and  hope, 
which  always  rest  upon  those  things  that  are  neither  seen  nor 
heard,  and  that  never  entered  into  the  heart  of  man.  Thus, 
the  eye  of  faith  looks  toward  the  inner  darkness  and  blackness 
of  the  hill  and  sees  nolhin.g;  except  that  it  is  fixedly  directed 
upwards,  expecting  help  will  come  unto  it  from  thence.  It 
looks  up  on  high  and  from  on  high  expects  a  helper,  but  what 
this  on  high  is  or  what  help  it  shall  get  it  knows  not.  For 
although  Christ  knew  all  things,  yet  he  was  in  all  things  tempt- 
ed as  we  are;  so  that  he  himself,  in  a  certain  sense,  and  in 
respect  to  his  humanity,  had  this  hill  unknown  to  him  and 
incomoprchensible  during  the  hour  of  his  passion ;  for  he 
speaks  of  this  same  thing  also  in  another  place,  Ps.  22  :3,  "But 
thou  dwellcst  in  thy  holy  place,"  that  is,  in  thy  hidden  and 
unapproachable  secrecy.  For  as  God  is  ineffable,  incompre- 
hensible, and  inaccessible,  so  are  his  will  and  his  help  also, 
especially  in  the  time  of  desertion. 

But  what  this  "holy  liill"  of  God  is  no  words  can  express, 
nor  can  any  one  come  to  the  least  apprehension  of  it  but  he  who 
is  brought  to  experience  it  by  faith,  and  to  prove  it  for  himself 
in  the  times  of  temptation.  It  is  the  same  as  if  he  had  said, 
'He  heard  froni  his  holy  lull,  which  is  the  common  rendering; 
he  heard  me  in  an  ineffable,  incomprehensible  manner,  and 
in  a  manner  that  I  never  thought  of.  I  know  that  I  was  heard 
from  above,  but  how,  I  know  not.  He  saved  me  from  above 
and  received  me  from  on  high,  as  we  shall  hereafter  hear  him 
speak,  but  what  this  'above'  and  this  'on  high'  is,  I  know  not.' 
It  is  the  same  when  God  leaves  us  and  does  not  hear  us ; 
for  we  know  not  whither  the  Spirit  goes,  nor  whence  he 
comes,  though  we  hear  his  voice  when  he  speaks  to  us ;  as 


128  .  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

Christ  saith  John  3  :8,  and  Job  9:11,  "Lo,  he  goeth  by  me,  and 
I  see  him  not:  he  passeth  on  also,  but  I  perceive  him  not." 
Christ  says,  "so  is  every  one  that  is  born  of  the  spirit."  He 
departeth  when  the  Spirit  departcth,  that  is,  he  is  left  alone 
when  the  Spirit  leaves  him  ;  and  he  cometh  when  the  Spirit 
cometh,  that  is,  he  is  heard  when  the  Spirit  heareth ;  and  yet 
he  knoweth  neither  the  one  nor  the  other,  nor  hov/  it  is  wrought 
upon  him. 

This  is  what  is  contained  in  the  word  "holy,"  which,  as  I 
have  already  shown,  signifies  separate  and  secret  and,  in  a 
word,  that  v/hich  can  be  touched  neither  by  sense  nor  by  the 
powers  of  the  natural  mind ;  and  into  which  whoever  is  taken, 
is  taken  into  the  invisible  God,  and  is  perfectly  purified,  separ- 
ated, and  sanctified.  But  this  is  hard  to  be  received  by,  and 
unbearable  to,  human  nature,  unless  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord 
move  upon  these  waters  and  brood  over  the  darkness  of  this 
abyss  until  the  light  shine. 

Hence  the  folly  lies  here,  that  man  endures  not  the  coun- 
sel of  God,  but  wants  to  be  helped  at  the  time  and  in  the  way 
that  he  himself  chooses  and  that  pleases  him  ;  whereby  he  makes 
out  of  the  unmoveable  hill  of  God  a  hill  that  has  a  name,  and 
profanes  the  holy  hill  of  God  by  touching  it  with  his  own 
thoughts  as  much  as  lies  in  his  power.  Ex.  19:12.  For  such 
an  one  is  like  the  horse  or  the  mule :  he  endures  the  Lord  as 
long  as  he  feels  and  understands  him,  but  will  not  follow  him 
beyond  the  limits  of  his  own  understanding,  because,  he  does 
not  live  by  faith,  but  by  his  own  reason.  This  is  proved  by 
examples  contained  in  all  the  histories  both  of  the  Old  and 
New  Testaments,  as  the  Apostle  has  shown  us  in  Heb.  11;  in 
which  examples  we  find  that  God  always  saves  his  saints  that 
thev  know  nothing  of  the  way,  manner,  and  time  of  the  sal- 
vation. Salvation  comes  to  all  from  on  high  and  from  above, 
unlooked-for  and  unexpected. 

Hence,  it  is  very  well  said,  "from  his  holy  hill;"  that  is, 
from  his  most  high  divinity.  But  all  do  not  understand  what 
they  say  when  they  speak  of  this  most  high  divinity.     For 


PSALM  III.  129 

to  be  heard  by  the  most  high  divinity  is,  as  I  have  said,  to  be 
heard  in  an  unheard-of,  unthought-of  manner ;  so  that  nothing 
was  less  thought  of  than  this  help  from,  and  this  being  heard 
by  the  divine.  For  it  is  faith  and  hope  that  speak  in  this 
passage ;  or  it  is  concerning  faith  and  hope  being  heard  that 
the  history  speaks.  When  faith  and  hope  are  heard,  they  feel 
nothing  and  experience  nothing  and  understand  nothing  of  the 
being  heard,  because  these  are  things  that  appear  not. 

This  is  what  the  word  selah  itself,  at  the  end  of  this 
passage,  particularly  intimates,  viz.  a  deep  subject  and  feeling 
which  require  a  pause,  and  which  ought  not  to  be  passed  light- 
ly over ;  so  hard  and  diflicult  a  thing  is  jt  to  expect,  and  wait 
for,  salvation  from  the  "holy  hill'  of  God.  The  foolish  man 
does  not  understand  these  deep  thoughts  of  God ;  as  is  said 
in  Ps.  92  :6.  Therefore,  God  reprobates  the  thoughts  of  the 
people  and  the  counsels  of  princes,  Ps.  33:10;  for  "Jehovah 
knoweth  the  thoughts  of  man,  that  they  are  vanity,"  Ps.  94:11. 
Nay,  in  these  depths  the  faithful  man  is  constrained  to  cry  out, 
"All  men  are  liars,"  Ps.  116:11.  So  necessary  is  it  in  these 
deep  things,  that  all  human  understanding  should  be  slain  and 
brought  into  captivity  unto  God. 

V.  5.  —  /  laid  me  dozvn  and  slept ;  I  azvakcd ;  for  Jcliorah 
snstaineth  me. 

The  words,  "I  laid  me  down"  signify,  in  the  Hebrew,  the 
posture  of  the  person  lying  down  or  sleeping ;  but,  "and  slept" 
signifies  the  sleep  itself.  So  that  the  sense  is,  I  lay  down,  I 
slept ;  whereby  he  signifies,  that  he  lay  down  and  that  he  rested 
in  the  tomb  and  was  dead ;  of  which  resting  much  mention  is 
made  in  many  parts  of  the  scriptures.  Thus,  Gen.  49  '.g,  "He 
stooped  down,  he  couched  as  a  lion,  and  as  a  lioness ;  who  shall 
rouse  him  up?"  And  Ps.  4:8,  "I  will  both  lay  me  down  in 
peace,  and  sleep."  In  which  passages,  we  find  the  very  same 
two  verbs  which  are  found  in  this  verse,  though  they  are  not 
translated  by  the  same  words ;  so  that,  by  the  former  you  are 
to  understand  the  resting,  and  by  the  latter  the  sleeping. 

This  is  that  rest  mentioned  in  Ps.  16:9,  "My  flesh  also  shall 


130  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

rest  in  hope."  And  Is.  11:10,  'And  his  sepulchre  shall  be 
glorious'  for  it  is  thus  that  Jerome  translates  it,  but  the  Septua- 
gint  has  faithfully  translated  it  'And  his  rest  shall  be  honor,' 
or,  as  the  Hebrew  has  it,  'And  his  resting  place  shall  be  glory.' 
As  if  he  had  said,  while  the  glory  of  all  other  kings  is  ended 
by  death,  and  their  glory,  as  the  apostle  saith,  ends  in  con- 
fusion ;  the  glory  of  this  King,  on  the  contrary,  begins  in  death, 
and  by  death  all  his  confusion  is  at  an  end.  And  so  it  is  with 
all  who  are  Christ's,  according  to  Ps.  116:15,  "Precious  in  the 
sight  of  the  Lord  is  the  death  of  his  saints ;"  because  their 
life  is  ignominious  in  the  sight  of  men.  But  I  have  only  hinted 
at  these  things  by  the  way.    We  now  return  to  this  "rest." 

This  is  that  "rest"  which  was  signified  by  the  Sabbath  of 
old,  which  means  rest,  and  which  is  signified  also  by  our  holi- 
days, on  which  days,  figuratively  and  spiritually  considered, 
Christ  causes  us  to  be  dead  to,  and  to  rest  from  all  our  works, 
that  is,  our  sins  and  to  keep  holiday,  that  we  may  live  unto 
God  only,  and  no  longer  work  ourselves,  but  let  God  work  and 
reign  in  us.  Hence  it  is  that  it  was  so  positively  and  rigor- 
ously commanded  of  old,  that  no  servile  work  should  be  done 
on  the  Sabbath,  but  that  it  should  be  a  day  holy  unto  the  Lord. 
Concerning  this  Augustine,  commenting  on  Genesis,  says  that 
it  is  to  be  understood  as  referring  to  our  works  which  are 
always  sins.  Wherefore,  nothing  but  the  works  of  our  master, 
free  works,  principal  v/orks,  yea,  divine  works  only,  are  to  be 
done,  now  that  Christ  has  procured  a  Sabbath  for  us,  or  has 
swallowed  up  and  done  away  with  all  our  works  by  his  Sabbath 
and  rest. 

And  to  this  refers  also  the  circumstance  of  Christ's  lying 
the  whole  Sabbath-day  in  the  sepulchre;  which  was  done  that 
the  circumstance  itself,  the  time,  and  the  figure,  may  all  concur 
to  show  forth  the  same  thing,  and  commend  to  us  this  all-sacred 
rest.  And  a  horrible  thing  it  is  for  a  man  to  be  busily  em- 
ployed during  this  time  of  grace  and  holy  rest  in  his  own  works 
and  to  be  found  totally  destitute  of  divine  works.  Like  the 
Jews,  to  wliom  the  words  in  Ex.  20 :8  were  spoken,  "Remember 


PSALM  III.  131 

that  thou  keep  holy  the  Sabbath-day;"  who,  understanding 
nothing  about  it,  still  continue  in  their  own  works,  and  by  their 
very  keeping  holy  the  Sabbath-day  most  awfully  desecrate  it. 
But  these  remarks  we  have  made  mystically. 

We  now  return  to  Christ.  Christ,  by  the  words  of  this 
verse,  signifies  his  death  and  burial,  as  we  have  shown  at 
the  beginning  of  this  Psalm.  For  it  is  not  to  be  supposed 
that  he  would  have  spoken  so  importantly  concerning  mere 
natural  rest  and  sleep ;  especially  since  that  which  precedes 
and  that  which  follows  compel  us  to  understand  him  as  speak- 
ing of  a  deep  conflict  and  a  glorious  victory  over  his  enemies. 
By  all  these  things  he  stirs  us  up  and  animates  us  to  faith 
in  God,  and  commends  unto  us  the  power  and  grace  of  God ; 
that  he  is  able  to  raise  us  up  from  the  dead,  an  example  of 
which  he  sets  before  us,  and  proclaims  it  unto  us  as  wrought 
in  himself.  For  there  is  no  one  thing  that  more  deeply  affects 
and  afiflicts  us  poor  miserable  men,  than  the  terror  and  dread 
of  that  death  to  which  we  are  condemned  in  our  first  parent 
Adam.  Nor  is  there  any  news  that  we  can  hear  more  joyfully 
than  to  hear  that  this  curse  is  changed,  and,  what  is  greater 
still,  overcome,  and  that  death  is  not  only  conquered  but  also 
made  the  servant  and  helper  unto  a  better  life  than  that  which 
we  had  before. 

Therefore  by  the  death  and  rcssurection  of  Christ  a  greater 
consolation  is  brought  in  and  proclaimed  to  us  than  any  other 
that  can  be  proclaimed  unto  the  human  race :  namely,  that 
death,  the  evil  incident  to  all,  is  so  overcome,  so  put  under 
the  feet  of  them  that  believe,  that  it  is  compelled  to  work  to- 
gether for  the  enjoyment  of  that  very  life  which  it  seems  to 
put  an  end  to  and  swallow  up.  Who  therefore  may  not  here 
sing?  Who  may  not  rejoice  with  Christ?  Surely  this  power 
of  Christ  which  is  so  full  of  joyful  tidings  ought  to  be  uttered 
forth,  not  with  weeping  lips  and  simple  expressions  only, 
but  in  a  Psalm  and  song  of  praise,  as  triumphal  praises  are 
wont  to  be  sung,  in  order  that  we  may  be  the  more  animated 
to  a  contempt  of  this  life  and  to  a  love  of  death;  for  music 


132  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

itself  has  a  certain  peculiar  effect  in  rousing  and  enlivening 
our  spirits.  Thus  Elijah  had  a  minstrel,  2  Kings  3:15,  and 
Moses  prepared  trumpets  for  war,  Numb.  10:9;  and  hence, 
the  Spirit  makes  use  of  music  also  in  things  so  salutary  and 
necessary,  because  it  is  a  hard  matter  to  leave  life  behind  and 
long  for  death ;  and  therefore  he  would  have  this  exhortation 
in  the  manner  of  a  song  that  he  might  the  more  easily  move  us, 
and  might  show  us  that  it  is  a  way  in  which  we  may  be  the 
easiest  moved. 

This  is  shown  farther  in  his  use  of  gentle  words,  and  such 
as  tend  wonderfully  to  lessen  the  horror  of  death.  He  says, 
*T  laid  me  down  and  slept."  He  does  not  say,  I  died  and 
was  buried;  for  death  and  the  tomb  had  lost  both  their  name 
and  their  power.  And  now  death  is  not  death  but  a  sleep ;  and 
the  tomb  not  a  tomb,  but  a  bed  and  resting  place.  This  was 
the  reason  why  the  words  of  this  prophecy  were  put  some- 
what obscurely  and  doubtfully,  that  it  might  by  that  means 
render  death  most  lovely  in  our  eyes,  or  rather  most  con- 
temptible, as  being  that  state  from  which,  as  from  the  sweet 
rest  of  sleep,  and  undoubted  arising  and  awaking  are  promised. 
For  who  is  not  most  sure  of  an  awaking  and  arising,  who  lies 
down  to  rest  in  a  sweet  sleep,  where  death  does  not  prevent? 
This  person,  however,  does  not  say  that  he  died,  but  that  he 
laid  him  down  to  sleep  and  that  therefore  he  awaked.  And 
moreover,  as  sleep  is  useful  and  necessary  for  a  better  renewal 
of  the  powers  of  the  body,  as  Ambrose  says  in  his  hymn,  and 
as  sleep  relieves  the  weary  limbs  ;  so  is  death  also  equally  useful 
and  ordained  for  attaining  a  better  life,  Ps.  4:8,  "In  peace 
will  I  both  lay  me  down  and  sleep ;  for  thou,  Jehovah,  alone 
makest  me  dwell  in  safety." 

Therefore  in  considering  death  we  are  not  so  much  to  con- 
sider death  itself  as  that  most  certain  life  and  resurrection 
which  are  sure  to  those  who  are  in  Christ ;  that  those  words  of 
John  8:51,  might  be  fulfilled,  "If  a  man  keep  my  word,  he 
shall  never  see  death."  But  how  is  it  that  he  shall  never  see  it? 
Shall  he  not  feel  it?     Shall  he  not  die?     No!     He  shall  only 


PSALM  III.  133 

see  sleep,  for  having  the  eyes  of  his  faith  fixed  upon  the  resur- 
rection, he  so  glides  through  death  that  he  does  not  even  see 
death,  for  death,  as  I  have  said,  is  to  him  no  death  at  all. 
Hence  John  1 1  125  says,  "He  that  believeth  on  me,  though 
he  die,  yet  shall  he  live." 

All  these  things  are  begun  in  baptism  and  are  consummated 
at  the  end  of  life.  For,  as  the  apostle  saith,  Rom.  6:4,  "We 
were  buried  therefore  with  him  through  baptism  into  death ;" 
which  passage,  as  I  understand  it,  does  not  refer  to  the  spirit- 
ual death  of  sin  only,  but  unto  corporal  death  also;  because 
sin  does  not  die  wholly  until  the  body  is  extinct,  or  as  Paul 
expresses  it,  until  this  body  of  sin  is  .destroyed.  Wherefore 
in  baptism  we  are  immediately  begun  to  be  prepared  for  death, 
that  we  may  by  death  be  brought  the  more  quickly  unto  life. 

Augustine  here  asks  why  David  saith,  in  the  future,  "For 
the  Lord  shall  sustain  me?"  for  it  is  thus  that  the  Hebrew 
has  it,  though  our  translation  has  rendered  it  by  the  perfect, 
"sustained."  And  although  it  is  true  that  in  the  prophets 
the  perfects  are  mingled  with  the  futures,  and  thereby  two 
things  are  signified :  That  the  things  prophesied  of  were 
future  as  to  their  events,  but  past  and  already  accomplished 
as  to  the  clear  knowledge  of  the  prophets ;  yet,  this  is  perhaps 
put  in  the  future  for  our  consolation  and  exhortation,  when 
it  saith  that  the  Lord  not  only  sustained  Christ  our  head,  but 
will  sustain  also  all  his  members  that  follow  him.  So  that 
we  are  to  imderstand  him  as  speaking  in  his  own  person  and 
in  the  persons  of  us  all,  both  for  himself  and  for  us  also. 

This  Hebrew  word,  yismecheni,  which  Jerome  renders 
'raise  me  up,'  and  in  other  places  'sustaineth,'  has  a  peculiar 
force  and  energy  which  the  Latin  does  not  express  and  which 
Reuchlin  renders,  'shall  put  his  hand  on  me,'  'shall  approach,' 
'shall  draw  near  unto  me ;'  which  is  the  sense  that  it  conveys, 
that  he  who  dies,  is  not  left  of  God,  but  is  supported  under- 
neath as  it  were  by  the  hand  of  God  extended  and  put  upon  him, 
that  he  might  not  fall  into  the  deep,  but  rather  be  delivered 
out  of  it,  and  raised  up ;  whereby  the  dying  man  and  the  manner 


134  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

of  his  being  sustained  by  God  are  descriptively  set  forth.  For 
he  that  dies  seems  to  perish,  and  as  it  were  to  be  swallowed 
up  in  an  abyss,  but  the  hand  of  God  drawing  near  to  him  from 
above,  preserves  him  from  perishing,  so  that  instead  of  sink- 
ing, he  is  rather  lifted  up  into  life;  thus  he  perishes  and  falls 
indeed  as  to  himself,  but  is  preserved  and  rises  in  God. 

V.  6.  —  /  zvill  not  he  afraid  of  ten  thousands  of  the  people 
that  have  set  themselves  against  me  round  about.  Arise,  O 
Jehovah;  save  me,  O  my  God. 

This  third  verse  of  the  present  song  of  triumph  is  of  the 
same  nature  as  those  that  precede  and  those  that  follow,  that 
is,  it  sets  forth  and  commends  to  us  that  proud  but  holy  affec- 
tion of  mind  that  despises  adversity.  For  we  have  said  that 
these  things  are  spoken  in  the  person  of  one,  who  rejoicing  in, 
and  being  grateful  to  God  his  deliverer,  praises  and  pro- 
claims his  power  and  grace,  i  Pet  .2  19 ;  in  which  he  is  so  con- 
firmed and  established  by  having  experienced  them  in  adversity, 
that  he  resolves  to  fear  no  evil  whatever  hereafter,  but  to  rest 
safely  in  the  protection  of  God,  now  known  and  experienced. 
And  although  after  Christ  rose  from  the  dead,  neither  tribula- 
tion, nor  death,  nor  surrounding  thousands  of  the  people,  could 
have  any  farther  effect  upon  him;  yet  the  affection  of  mind 
and  feelings,  no  doubt  reigned  and  triumphed  in  him  exactly 
as  the  prophet  foretold  they  would.  And  all  this  was  not  on 
account  of  Christ  only,  who  needed  no  such  things,  but  for 
our  sakes ;  who,  although  we  may  have  overcome  some  tempta- 
tions, have  still  many  more  to  overcome.  Therefore  we  have 
need  of  exhortation  that,  having  once  tasted  the  grace  of  a 
helping  God,  we  may  be  encouraged  and  confirmed  to  the 
enduring  of  much  greater  things,  being  most  sweetly  com- 
forted by  the  example  of  Christ  .  And  this  is  the  reason, 
according  to  my  views,  why  the  prophet  so  often  varies  the 
tenses  of  his  verbs,  speaking  sometimes  in  the  perfect,  as,  "I 
cried  unto  the  Lord  with  my  voice  and  he  heard  me,"  and  also, 
"I  laid  me  down  and  slept ;  I  awaked ;"  and  sometimes  in  the 
future,  "I  will  not  be  afraid  of  ten  thousands  of  the  people," 


PSALM  III.  135 

and  sometimes  again  in  the  present,  "Arise,  O  Lord ;  save  me," 
and  then  again  in  the  perfect,  "Thou  hast  smitten  all  mine 
enemies  upon  the  cheek-bone,"  etc.  Although  he  says  all  these 
things  in  the  person  of  the  suffering  Christ,  yet  he  at  the  same 
time  shows  us,  in  the  example  of  Christ,  that  these  same 
things  are  accomplished  and  are  to  be  accomplished  in  us. 

Thus  also,  in  John  12  127,  Christ  says  at  the  hour  of  his 
passion,  "Now  is  my  soul  troubled;  and  what  shall  I  say? 
Father,  save  me  from  this  hour :  but  for  this  cause  came  I 
unto  this  hour."  Here  we  would  briefly  observe  that  we  ought 
to  make  ourselves  well  acquainted  with  this  manner  of  speech 
peculiar  to  the  scriptures  and  know  that  in  the  Prophets  and 
in  the  Psalms  many  things  are  said  together  and  at  the  same 
time,  as  to  the  order  of  the  words,  which  are  accomplished  at 
different  times ;  and  some  things  spoken  of  first,  as  to  order, 
which  are  accomplished  at  a  later  time.  As  we  have  it  here  in 
the  person  of  Christ,  where  "Arise,  O  Lord;  save  me"  refers 
to  his  passion ;  while  that  which  precedes,  "I  cried  unto  the 
Lord  with  my  voice  and  he  heard  me,"  and  "I  awaked,"  refer 
to  the  circumstances  after  his  passion.  But  they  are  to  be 
understood,  as  I  observed,  as  spoken  for  the  benefit  of  his 
members,  out  of  a  heart  glorying  on  account  of  past  triumphs, 
expecting  with  courage  future  temptations,  and  arming  and 
fortifying  itself  with  a  confidence  in  the  power  of  God. 

Moreover  it  is  too  well  known  to  need  any  explanation, 
that  such  expressions  as  "Arise"  are  not  addressed  to  God 
as  supposing  him  to  be  asleep  or  lying  down,  but,  as  Augustine 
remarks  on  this  passage,  that  is  attributed  unto  God  which 
he  does  in  us.  So  that  he  arises  when  he  causes  us  to  arise ;  just 
as  he  is  said  so  to  speak  in  the  Prophets,  when  he  causes  them 
to  speak ;  as  the  apostle  saith,  2  Cor.  13  13,  "Do  ye  seek  a  proof 
of  Christ  speaking  in  me?"  Or,  he  is  then  said  to  arise  and 
awake  when  he  shows  us,  by  a  present  influence  wrought  on 
our  minds,  that  he  is  then  with  us,  which  is  a  mode  of  speech 
more  common  than  the  former,  and  by  which  things  in  the 
scriptures  are  said  to  be  done  by  God,  when  they  are  either 


136  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS, 

felt  or  known  by  us  to  be  done;  as  in  Gen.  22:12,  "For  now  I 
know  that  thou  fearest  God,"  and  also,  Luke  7:47,  where 
Christ  first  said  to  Peter  concerning  Mary,  "Her  sins  which 
are  many  are  forgiven  her,"  but  afterwards,  revealing  the  same 
to  the  woman  herself,  said,  "Thy  sins  are  forgiven."  There- 
fore, though  there  is  no  time  when  God  does  not  help,  yet 
he  is  nevertheless  called  upon  to  help,  nay,  he  first  gives  us  the 
power  and  helps  us  to  call  upon  him  and  lest  we  should  faint, 
he  helps  us  to  continue  calling  upon  him  until  he  sends  us  the 
help  needed. 

This  verse,  however,  seems  to  be  opposed  to  the  first  two ; 
so  that  he  says  against  the  multitude  of  those  that  trouble  him, 
"I  will  not  be  afraid  of  ten  thousands  of  the  people,"  and 
against  the  power  of  those  that  rose  up  against  him,  "Arise, 
O  Lord,"  and  against  those  who  taunted  him  as  being  in  des- 
pair, "Save  me,  O  my  God."  Or  rather,  this  verse  is  set 
against  the  multitude  of  those  that  troubled  him;  and  the 
following,  against  the  power  of  those  that  rose  up  against 
him,  where  he  says,  "For  thou  hast  smitten  all  mine  enemies 
upon  the  cheek-bone,"  and  the  last  against  those  who  told 
him  he  was  in  despair,  saying,  there  is  no  help  for  him  in 
God,  for  in  that  last  verse  he  says,  "Salvation  belongeth  unto 
Jehovah ;  thy  blessing  be  upon  thy  people." 

The  force  of  the  whole  lies  in  these  words,  "I  will  not  be 
afraid  of  ten  thousands  of  the  people  that  have  set  themselves 
against  me  round  about."  As  if  he  had  said,  from  the  deep 
sense  that  he  had  of  his  strong  trust  in  God,  "I  will  not  be 
afraid  though,  not  only  any  great  one  among  the  people,  nor 
any  whole  people,  but  even  though  many  thousands  of  the 
people  rose  up  against  me;  and  I  will  add,  even  though  they 
should  so  surround  me  alone  and  deserted,  as  to  hedge  me  in 
entirely  and  to  leave  me  no  way  of  escape :  —  even  then  I  will 
not  fear,  nay,  I  will  rest  secure,  not  in  my  own  strength,  but 
because  thou,  O  Jehovah,  wilt  arise,  etc.  Thus,  I  say,  does  the 
Holy  Spirit  every  where  graciously  invite  us  to  a  great  and 
full  exercise  of  faith  and  hope  in  God. 


PSALM  III.  137 

V.  7.  — For  thou  hast  smitten  all  mine  enemies  {all  those 
zvho  are  viine  enemies  zvithout  cause) ;  thou  hast  broken  the 
teeth  of  the  zvicked  {ungodly). 

The  perfect  is  here  put  for  the  future,  if  it  be  understood  of 
the  person  of  Christ  before  his  passion  :  but  if  it  be  understood 
of  him  after  his  resurrection,  it  is  a  continuation  of  his  song 
of  praise  and  thanksgiving  unto  God  for  our  exhortation,  as 
we  have  before  observed. 

Instead  of  'without  cause"  Jerome  has  translated  from  the 
Hebrew  "cheek-bone,"  thus,  "Thou  hast  smitten  mine  enemies 
upon  the  cheek-bone."  And  with  this  rightly  agrees  that  which 
follows,  "Thou  hast  broken  the  teeth  of  the  ungodly."  And 
hence,  it  seems  to  be  a  repetition  of  the  same  thing. 

The  order,  however,  is  T  will  not  be  afraid  of  thousands, 
nor  shall  my  followers  fear  any  multitude,  how  ever  wicked 
and  powerful  they  may  be :  for  I  now  know  by  experience, 
how  thou  art  wont  to  smite  and  to  consume  my  adversaries,  by 
raising  me  from  the  dead,  so  that  they  can  no  longer  devour  me, 
and  by  comforting  my  believing  ones  by  the  spirit  so  that  they 
cannot  hurt  them.' 

This  smiting  may  be  understood  as  referring  to  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  people  of  the  Jews  by  Titus  and  Vespasian.  For 
although  they  are  still  open-mouthed,  and  maliciously  inveterate 
against  Christ  and  his  Christians,  yet  they  are  so  smitten  and 
disabled  that  they  cannot  devour  one  of  them ;  as  it  is  written, 
Ps.  58  :6,  "Break  their  teeth,  O  God,  in  their  mouth :  break 
out  the  great  teeth  of  the  young  lions,  O  Jehovah." 

He  uses  this  metaphor  of  'cheek-bones'  and  'teeth'  to  repres- 
ent cutting  words,  detractions,  calumnies,  and  other  injuries  of 
the  same  kind,  by  which  the  innocent  are  oppressed ;  according 
to  Prov.  30:14,  "There  is  a  generation  whose  teeth  are  as 
swords,  and  their  jaw  teeth  as  knives,  to  devour  the  poor  from 
ofif  the  earth,  and  the  needy  from  among  men."  It  was  by  these 
that  Christ  was  devoured,  when  before  Pilate,  he  was  con- 
demned to  the  cross  by  the  voices  and  accusations  of  his  ene- 
mies.   Hence  the  apostle  saith,  Gal.  5:15,  "But  if  ye  bite  and 


138  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

devour  one  another,  lake  heed  that  ye  be  not  consumed  one  of 
another."  This  metaphor  of  'teeth'  and  'jaw  bones'  is  to  be 
found  in  niany  other  piaces  in  the  scriptures,  and  it  is  of  itself 
sufficiently  illustrative  of  its  own  meaning. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  spouse  of  Christ  has  teeth  also,  as  in 
Cant.  4 :2 ;  6 :6,  "Thy  teeth  are  like  a  flock  of  ewes  that  are 
newly  shorn,  which  are  come  up  from  the  washing,"  that  is, 
the  reproofs  by  whicJi  the  church  wounds  and  convinces  sinners 
and  by  which  she  coiu'crts  them  when  thus  wounded,  and  in- 
corporates them  with  herself,  are  like  shorn  sheep  mild,  and  re- 
prove with  out  fui-y  or  heated  zeal;  they  are  shorn,  because 
they  are  devoid  of  all  care  about  the  things  of  this  world,  not 
seeking  gain  and  the  wool  of  the  sheep.  For  even  the  apostles 
themselves  could  not  preach  the  Word  and  serve  tables,  as  it 
is  written.  Acts  6  .2.    Reference  to  this  is  made  at  another  place. 

These  teeth  are,  figuratively,  that  jaw  bone  which  Samson 
took  up  and  slew  with  it  a  thousand  men.  Judges  15  :i5.  And 
hence,  in  the  more  gracious  application  of  the  metaphor  God 
smites  and  bruises  the  teeth  of  the  wicked  in  mercy,  when  by  his 
grace  in  their  conversion  he  turns  them  from  malice  to  kind- 
ness and  from  being  accusers  and  revilers  of  the  just  to  be- 
coming their  favorers  and  applauders.  Thus,  he  broke  those 
most  powerful  teeth  of  that  terrible,  devouring  wolf,  St.  Paul, 
and  made  him  an  apostle  and  the  devourer  of  all  nations  unto 
this  very  day.  And  ii  is  in  this  sense  of  the  metaphor  that 
Is.  2  4,  saith,  "And  they  shall  beat  their  swords  into  plough- 
shares, and  their  spear:  into  pruning-hooks."  As  if  he  had 
said,  they  shall  change  their  noxious  tongues  into  wholesome 
ones  that  shall  nourish  the  men  of  the  earth ;  so  that  they  shall 
become  plough-shares  for  reproving,  and  pruning-hooks  for 
gathering  people  unto  Christ. 

These  teeth  may  likewise  be  understood  allegorically,  ac- 
cording to  Augustine,  for  the  rulers  and  leaders  of  sinners ; 
by  whose  authority  men  are  cut  off  from  the  society  of  those 
who  live  rightly,  and  are  incorporated  with  those  who  live 
wickedly.     In  direct  opposition  to  these  are  the  leaders  of  the 


PSALM  III.  139 

righteous,  as  priests,  who  by  their  example  and  by  the  good 
Word  of  God  move  men  to  beheve,  to  be  separated  from  the 
world,  and  to  pass  over  among  the  members  of  the  church. 
And  to  this  agrees  tha*^,  which  Cant,  chapters  4  and  6  says  con- 
cerning the  teeth.  But  any  one  may  pursue  the  applications 
of  these  allegories  taken  from  teeth  still  farther;  therefore  I 
shall  say  no  more  about  them  here. 

This  Psalm,  however,  will  not  be  inappropriately  used  to 
comfort  poor  weak  consciences,  if  it  be  taken  figuratively,  and 
by  oppressors  and  teeth  we  understand  those  most  tormenting 
assaults  of  sins  and  tHe  consciousness  of  an  ill-spent  life.  For 
here  the  heart  of  the  sinner  is  in  real  distress  and  is  solitary, 
helpless,  and  in  despair.  And  if  he  does 'not  accustom  himself 
to  lift  his  eyes  upward  against  the  assault  of  his  sins  and  to 
call  upon  God  against  the  accusations  of  his  conscience,  there 
is  much  to  be  feared,  lest  evil  and  malicious  spirits,  who  for 
this  purpose  walk  about  in  darkness  and  thirst  for  the  destruc- 
tion of  souls,  should  swallow  him  up  in  distress  and  despera- 
tion, Ps.  91  :6. 

Therefore,  the  heart  must  be  most  firmly  fortified,  and  be 
enabled  to  say  with  Ghrist,  whether  it  be  against  sin,  persecut- 
ing the  conscience,  or  against  those  things  that  hinder  our  sal- 
vation, the  heart,  I  say,  must  be  enabled  to  glory  with  Christ, 
saying : 

V.  8.  Salvation  belongcth  unto  Jehovah  {is  of  the  Lord)  : 
thy  blessing  be  upon  thy  people.    Selah. 

A  most  beautiful  conclusion  is  this,  and  as  it  were  the  sum 
of  all  the  previously  mentioned  affections  of  the  heart.  The 
sense  is,  it  is  the  Lord  alone  that  saves  and  blesses;  and  even 
though  the  whole  mass  of  all  evils  should  be  gathered  to- 
gether in  one  against  a  man,  still  it  is  the  Lord  who  saves : 
salvation  and  blessing  are  in  his  hand.  What  then  shall  I  fear? 
What  shall  I  not  promise  myself?  When  I  know  that  no  one 
can  be  destroyed,  no  one  reviled,  without  the  permission  of 
God,  even  though  all  should  rise  up  to  curse  and  to  destroy; 


140  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

and  that  no  one  of  tlu-ni  can  be  blessed  and  saved  without  the 
permission  of  God,  however  much  they  may  bless  and  strive 
to  save  themselves.  And,  as  Gregory  Nazianzen  says,  '\\'here 
God  gives,  envy  can  avail  nothing;  and  where  God  does  not 
give,  labor  can  avail  nothing.' 

In  the  same  way  also  Paul  saith,  Rom.  8:31,  "If  God  be 
for  us,  who  can  be  against  us?"  So  also,  on  the  contrary,  if 
God  be  against  them,  who  can  be  for  them?  Why?  Because 
salvation  is  of  the  Lord,  and  not  of  them,  nor  of  us,  for  "vain 
is  the  help  of  man,''  Ps.  60:13.  And  hence,  we  have  it  written 
in  Rev.  7:12,  "Blessing,  and  glory,  and  wisdom,  and  thanks- 
giving, and  honor,  and  power  ,and  might,  be  unto  our  God  for 
ever  and  ever."  And  so  again,  verse  10,  'Salvation  unto  our 
God,  and  unto  the  Lamb.'  And  Ps.  109:28,  "Let  them  curse, 
but  bless  thou,"  And  again,  Mai.  2 :2,  "I  will  curse  your 
blessings,"  and  bless  your  cursings  . 

Therefore  the  blessed  Christ  and  every  Christian  soul  in 
the  midst  of  tribulations,  say  it  matters  not  that  they  curse 
and  destroy  me ;  it  is  not  theirs,  but  God's  alone  to  serve  and 
bless.  Nor  is  it  of  any  avail  that  they  in  imagination  save 
themselves  by  their  onn  powers  and  bless  each  other ;  salvation 
and  blessing  are  not  or  them,  but  of  the  Lord,  and  if  he  does 
not  save  and  bless  them  they  may  seem  indeed  to  be  blessed  and 
saved  for  an  hour,  but  they  shall  in  the  end  be  cursed  and 
destroyed.  On  the  other  hand,  when  he  saves  and  blesses  us, 
they  may  indeed  apptar  for  an  hour  to  curse  and  destroy  us, 
but  we  are  in  truth  saved  and  blessed.  This  is  taught  by  Ps. 
146:3,  "Put  not  your  trust  in  princes,  nor  in  the  son  of  man, 
in  whom  there  is  no  l:clp." 

In  order  to  encourage  this  consolation  and  confidence,  it 
was  of  old  forbidde.i  in  the  law  0/  Moses  that  one  man  should 
bless  another.  For  Cio  1  said,  Num.  6  :23,  "On  this  wise  ye  shall 
bless  the  children  of  Israel:  saying  unto  them,  "The  Lord 
bless  thee,"  etc.  etc.,  and  "I  will  bless  them."  O  wholesome 
and  necessary  precept ! 

And  why  thinkest  thou,  was  it  that  God  would  not  have 


PSALM  III.  141 

any  man  blessed  by  another?  Why,  because  he  had  those 
things  m  his  mind  which  were  afterwards  written,  Matt.  5:11, 
"Blessed  are  ye  when  men  shall  reproach  you,  and  persecute 
you,  and  say  all  manner  of  evil  against  you  falsely,  for  my 
sake."  Because  men  are  dealt  with,  as  is  described  in  Ps.  10:3, 
(Vulgate)  'For  the  wicked  boasteth  of  his  heart's  desire,  and 
the  wicked  blesseth  himself,'  and  the  just  man  on  the  contrary 
is  despised  and  cursed;  therefore  the  Lord  most  justly  and 
piously  saith,  "I  will  bless  them ;"  and  this  is  what  the  present 
verse  repeats  as  it  were  in  confirmation,  "Thy  blessing  be  upon 
thy  people." 

This  verse,  therefore,  is  to  be  read  so  that  the  emphasis  and 
stress  be  laid  with  an  elevation  of  tone  on  the  genitive  "Lord," 
and  the  pronoun  "th\  ;"  so  that  by  the  antithesis  we  may  be 
brought  to  experience  that  feeling  of  soul  full  of  the  sweetest 
confidence,  which  laughs  as  it  were  at  the  evil  attempts  of  our 
adversaries  and  looks  with  contempt  upon  the  confidence  in 
which  they  boast,  saymg  unto  itself,  "Salvation  belongeth  unto 
Jehovah  :  and  thy  blessing  be  upon  thy  people."  In  which  way 
we  may  learn  to  contemn  the  curse  of  men,  and  not  to  seek  after 
their  blessing;  since  we  know,  that  it  is  of  God  alone  to  save 
and  to  bless.  And  it  is  in  this  same  way  that  Isaiah  taunts  those 
described,  41  :2'i„  "Do  good,  or  do  evil,"  if  ye  can.  As  if  he 
had  said,  ye  can  neither  injure  us  nor  profit  us. 

First  observe  that  he  puts  the  salvation  before  the  blessing; 
and  that  is  the  right  order,  because  a  blessing  in  the  holy 
Scriptures  implies  a  gomg  on  and  a  multiplying,  according  to 
Gen.  I  :28,  "And  G<nl  blessed  them,  and  said,  be  fruitful  and 
multiply;"  which  cannot  take  place  unless  he  that  is  blessed 
be  saved  from  perishing.  And  David  aptly  opposes  these  two 
things  to  the  first  two  verses ;  that  is,  the  salvation  of  the  Lord, 
to  them  that  trouble  and  rise  up,  for  these  destroy  by  cursing 
and  saying,  "There  is  no  help  for  him  in  God ;"  but  blessing 
is  of  the  Lord.  And  thik  cursing  and  tauntin.g  of  theirs  is  most 
terrible  to  be  borne. 

For  when  the  wicked  have  nothing  more  that  they  can  do 


142  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

to  the  righteous  whom  they  have  destroyed,  the  one  thing 
remaining  for  them  is,  to  cahimniate,  curse,  and  blaspheme 
them,  as  was  shown  us  in  the  example  of  Christ  upon  the 
cross ;  whereby  they  strive  to  destroy  their  good  report  both 
before  God  and  before  men.  They  aim  at  destroying  before 
men  by  defaming  them;  and  before  God,  by  attacking  their 
faith  and  trust  of  conscience,  that  they  may  not  be  able  to 
glory  in  God ;  and  thai  thus  they  may  be  confused  on  both 
sides. 

At  the  same  time  is  touched  upon  here,  that  terrible  tempta- 
tion of  blasphemy,  by  which  a  man  is  urged  on  by  devils  to 
desperation,  and  to  think  that  the  curse  of  God  is  upon  him : 
and  thus  he  accounts  God  as  an  enemy,  as  long  as  he  can  feel 
nothing  of  good  coniing  from  God;  and  this  is  to  blaspheme 
God,  for  we  are  commanded  to  hope  for,  and  promise  to  our- 
selves, all  good  things  fiom  him ;  and  are  required  by  the  first 
commandment  to  v.'orship  him  with  faith,  hope,  and  love : 
and  in  Wisdom,  i  :i,  ii  is  written,  "Think  of  the  Lord  with  a 
good  heart,  and  in  simplicity  of  heart  seek  him." 

And  perhaps  this  is  the  reason  why  he  so  often  changes 
the  person.  For  when  he  had  said  in  the  third  person,  "Sal- 
vation belongeth  unro  Jehovah,"  thereby  commending,  as  it 
were  ,God  unto  others,  he  directly  after  changes  it  to  the  second 
person,  saying,  "Thy  blessing."  For  as  the  temptation  above 
mentioned  takes  us  mcst  of  all  from  God,  and  makes  us  shun 
him  as  a  curser,  and  seek  another  to  bless,  when  there  is  no 
other  to  bless ;  he  admonishes  us  to  turn  then  most  of  all  unto 
God,  when  we  the  most  turn  from  him  by  the  temptation.  And 
this  feeling  of  the  heart,  because  it  is  very  remarkable  and 
powerful,  is  not  in  vain  marked  with  the  word  "Selah ;"  con- 
cerning which  we  have  said  sufficient. 

Thus  have  we  expounded  this  whole  Psalm  concerning 
Christ,  but  if  this  interpretation  does  not  please  any,  there  will 
be  no  difficulty  in  uncle  i  standing  it  concerning  David,  as  being 
a  type  of  the  same  suffering  and  of  the  same  feelings  of  mind; 
which  are  all  exemplified  in   Christ  and  in  every  Christian, 


PSALM  III.  143 

except  that  the  ;itt]i  verse  will  give  us  some  little  trouble  in 
such  an  exposition.  We  will  therefore  leave  others  to  pursue 
it  farther  and  better,  Vv'hile  we  only  briefly  set  it  forth  thus :  — 

y.  1-2.  "Jehovah,  how  are  mine  adversaries  increased!" 
That  is,  Absalom,  Apithophel,  and  the  whole  people,  as  in  2 
Sam.  15,  "Many  are  they  that  rise  up  against  me." 

"Many  there  are  that  say  of  my  soul,  there  is  no  help  for 
him  in  God!"  This  above  all  others  did  Shimei,  2  Sam:  16:7 
cursing  David  and  saying,  "Begone,  begone,  thou  man  of  blood, 
and  base  fellow :"  and  he  cast  stones  at  David  and  said,  verse 
8,  "Jehovah  hath  returned  upon  thee,  -etc.  Behold  thou  art 
taken  in  thine  own  mischief." 

V.  3.  "But  thou,  O  Jehovah,  art  a  shield  about  me,  my 
glory,  and  the  lifter  up  of  my  head."  For  David  said  in  2  Sam. 
16:11,  etc.,  "Let  him  alone,  and  let  him  curse,  for  Jehovah  hath 
bidden  him  .  It  may  be  that  Jehovah  will  look  on  the  wrong 
done  unto  me,  and  that  Jehovah  will  requite  me  good  for  his 
cursing  of  me  this  day."  By  which  words  he  showed  that 
he  did  not  yet  despai'%  but  firmly  trusted  in  God,  whose  com- 
mand and  will  he  acknowledged  and  justified. 

V.  4.  "I  cry  unto  Jehovah  with  my  voice,  and  he  answereth 
me  from  his  holy  hill."  This  David  did  when  he  said,  "O 
Jehovah,  I  pray  thee,  turn  the  counsel  of  Ahithophel  into 
foolishness,"  2  Sam.  15:31.  And  perhaps  he  did  the  same 
at  other  times  which  are  not  recorded.  For,  as  I  have  said, 
it  is  not  in  the  tribulation,  but  after  the  tribulation,  that  we 
are  to  suppose  the  Psalm  was  written. 

O  strong  faith !  which  can  speak  unto  an  angry  God,  call 
unto  him  when  persecuting  you,  flee  unto  him  when  driving 
you  back,  praise  him  as  your  helper,  your  glory,  and  the  lifter 
up  of  your  head,  when  you  feel  him  deserting,  confounding, 
and  oppressing  you  !  This  is  a  memorable  example  of  Christian 
faith  indeed!  He  says,  "I  go  whither  I  may,"  2  Sam.  15:20. 
As  if  he  had  said,  T  know  not  whither  I  am  going:'  and  this 
is  to  believe  and  to  commit  one's  self  into  that  darkness  where 


144  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

you  are  utterly  ignoiant  what  will  become  of  you,  and  yet 
have  a  good  hope  for  the  best  and  doubt  not  that  you  are  heard. 

V.  5.  "I  laid  n.'e  down  and  slept;  I  awaked;  for  Jehovah 
sustaineth  me."  —  Which,  according  to  my  bold  way,  I  would 
understand  in  this  manner.  David  might  say,  'I  was  in  a 
state  that  I  despaired  of  my  life,  of  my  glory,  and  of  my  all. 
I  was  like  unto  one  dead  and  descending  into  the  pit,  as  to  all 
external  appearance  in  the  sight  of  men ;  nor  was  there  any 
thing  left  alive  in  n\t  but  faith,  and  it  appeared  to  me  that  if 
I  should  be  again  re-instated  in  my  kingdom,  it  would  be 
nothing  less  than  as  -if  I  were  raised  from  the  grave  and  from 
the  sleep  of  death.'  For  into  this  state  of  things,  and  down 
to  these  gates  of  hell,  ii  is  that  the  Lord  is  wont  to  bring  those 
whose  faith  he  desigjis  to  try ;  and  indeed,  the  man  that  is  put 
into  this  state  differs  I'ttle  from  one  dead. 

Or  if  this  do  not  please,  let  the  interpretation  be  this,  'I  was 
overwhelmed  with  this  tribulation.  And,  as  those  who  are  sunk 
into  a  deep  sleep  know  not  that  they  are  alive,  and  are  like  unto 
men  dead ;  so  I,  from  the  exceeding  greatness  of  my  affliction, 
and  from  being  put  to  the  very  extremity  of  my  faith,  had  no 
enjoyment  whatever  of  this  external  life,  and  was  almost  dead; 
after  which  manner  it  is  said  concerning  Jacob,  Gen.  45  127,  etc., 
that,  when  he  heard  that  his  son  Joseph  was  reigning  in  Egypt, 
he  was  as  one  awaking  from  a  deep  sleep,  and  did  not  believe 
them ;  that  is,  because  he  had  been  in  such  utter  despair  con- 
cerning Joseph ;  but  that,  when  he  saw  the  wagons  and  all  the 
things  that  Joseph  had  sent,  his  "spirit  revived." 

Thus  David  also  says,  that  he  revived  and  arose  from  the 
deep  sleep  of  his  hear*-,  and  as  it  were  from  death.  For  as  I 
have  confessed,  I  cannot  understand  it  concerning  natural  sleep 
and  rest.  But  David  himself  also  says,  2  Sam.  19:22,  when 
he  returned,  "Do  not  I  know  that  I  am  this  day  king  over 
Israel?"  wherein  he  plainly  shows  his  former  feelings  of  despair 
concerning  the  kingdom,  as  to  all  present  appearances. 

V.  6.  "I  will  not  be  afraid  of  ten  thousands  of  the  people 
that  have  set  themselves  against  me  round  about."     "Arise, 


PSALM  III.  145 

O  Jehovah  ;  save  me,  O  my  God."  This  is  what  he  said  upon 
his  being  recalled,  'I  shall  no  more  fear  evil  if  thou  be  with 
me,  Ps.  22i  '.4.  Do  thou  only  arise  and  save  me,  as  thou  didst 
lately,  and  be  my  God ;  then  I  will  fear  nothing.' 

V.  7.  "For  thou  hast  smitten  all  mine  eneniies  upon  the 
cheek-bone ;  thou  hast  broken  the  teeth  of  the  wicked."  For  the 
people  and  Absalom  were  slain,  and  there  was  a  great  slaughter 
that  day  of  seventy  thousand  men,  2  Sam.  18  7  .  And  thus  were 
all  who  devoured  and  afflicted  him  smitten  and  slain. 

V.  8.  "Salvation  belongcth  luito  Jehovah ;  thy  blessing  be 
upon  thy  people.  Selah."  As  if  he  had  said,  'Although  Shimei 
with  his  followers  gnashed  their  malicious  teeth  at  me,  saying 
"There  is  no  help  for  him  in  God,"  etc,  yet,  it  is  of  God  alone 
to  bless  and  save,  to  whom  alone  be  glory  for  ever  and  ever. 
Amen.' 


PSALM    IV. 

A  PSALM  OF  DAVID,  ON  THE  ORGANS,  FOR  VICTORY. 

This  Psalm  is,  according  to  my  views,  very  obscure;  and 
there  is  no  other  so  variously  expounded,  which  diversity  is  a 
proof  of  the  real  scope  of  it  not  being  yet  fully  understood. 

Let  us  first  cons^'der  the  title,  as  we  shall  frequently  have 
the  same  hereafter.  Lamnazeaii,  was,  before  the  translation 
of  Jerome,  rendered  by  the  ancients  'to  the  end,'  which  they 
all  unanimously  interpreted  to  signify  Christ,  whom  the  apostle 
calls  "the  end  of  the  law,'  Rom.  10:4,  saying,  "Christ  is  the 
end  of  the  law  for  righteousness  to  every  one  that  believeth." 
Which  "end"  they  interpret  two  ways,  —  that  Christ  is  the 
end  and  sum  intended  by  the  law ;  and  that  he  himself  put  an 
end  to  the  law,  so  that  we  are  no  longer  indebted  to  it.  But 
what  these  things  have  to  do  with  the  title  of  the  Psalm,  I  do 
not  see ;  it  is  only  violently  taking  from  one  place,  and  adding 
to  another.  For  all  the  Psalms  which  have  this  title  do  not 
speak  of  Christ,  except  it  be  in  this  way  :  that  it  is  by  the  grace 
of  God  only  we  speak  of  any  work,  and  that  we  have  nothing 
either  great  or  small  without  Christ.  But  in  this  way  every 
Psalm  ought  to  have  ihc  same  inscription. 

Jerome  therefore  has  translated  it  'for  the  conqueror:'  and 
then  was  introduced,  'for  victory,'  because  Lyra  from  Rabbi 
Tal,  supposed  that  it  should  be  understood  in  this  way  that 
the  Levite  singers,  contending  in  alternate  choirs,  should  strive 
to  excel  each  other.  But  this  he  said,  perhaps,  measuring  that 
divine  melody  of  David,  instituted  for  the  praising  of  God, 
according  to  the  custom  of  those  bawling  men  in  our  cathedrals, 
who  are  called  choristers.  But  to  whom  such  men  sing  I 
am  sure  I  know  not ;  I  can  only  hear  the  beams  and  stones 
roar  with  their  noise.  And  then,  comparing  this  with  the  inter- 
pretation 'to  the  end,'  which  some  have  given,  he  says,  that  the 


PSALM   IV,  147 

'end'  meant  was  the  victory  that  is,  of  the  noise  in  singing, 
which  the  choir  -nought  after  in  singing  this  Psahn.  Such 
hiclicrous  things  as  these  will  men  teach  in  a  matter  so  serious ! 

We  read,  i  Chron.  15  :i6,  that  David  appointed  three  kinds 
of  singers :  one  to  sirg  to  the  nablis,  that  is  psalter;  another 
to  sing  to  harps,  or  as  the  interpreters  variously  render  it,  the 
lyres ;  and  another  to  sound  on  cymbals ;  and  to  these,  for  a 
time,  were  added  the  trumpet  and  the  cornet.  And  the  third 
kind  of  singing  there  mentioned,  verse  21,  is  the  singing  on 
harps  upon  Lenazeah,  which  they  have  rendered  by  'victory,' 
that  is,  'a  song  of  victory.'  And  hence  perhaps  it  is,  that 
Lamnazeah  is  translated  'for  victory,'  because  the  Psalm 
that  bears  this  title  is  a  signal  song  of  victory. 

But  here  I  confess  my  ignorance.  For  if  these  things  be  so, 
I  know  not  why  all  the  other  Psalms  are  not  entitled  'for 
victory,'  which  contain  a  subject  matter  equally,  if  not  more, 
applicable  to  that  title  than  this  Psalm  and  others  like  it.  And 
then  again,  there  will  be  a  difference  of  opinion  about  what 
victory  it  is  that  is  sung  in  the  Psalm ;  because,  some  Psalms 
celebrate  the  victory  of  Christ,  others  the  victory  of  any  Christ- 
ian placed  in  the  midst  of  suffering  and  temptation. 

John  Reuchlin,  in  Iiis  Septena,  translates  it  'for  invitation;' 
because,  he  will  have  it  that  Psalms  of  that  kind  are  certain 
incitements  to  awaken  and  encourage  the  spirit  of  man.  And 
to  this  rendering  the  root  of  the  word  admirably  agrees.  For, 
as  he  says,  naza  signifies  'he  was  instant,'  'he  stirred  up,'  'he 
forced,'  'he  urged,'  as  in  Ezra  3  :g,  "To  have  the  oversight  of 
the  workmen  in  ihe  house  of  God,"  and,  verse  8,  to  have  the 
oversight  of  the  work  of  the  house  of  Jehovah,"  or  "To  set  for- 
ward the  work  of  the  Lord."  And  moreover,  the  content  of 
the  Psalm  does  not  at  all  disagree  with  this  interpretation; 
for  this  Psalm,  according  to  my  judgment,  is  merely  exhorta- 
tive to  the  work  of  the  Lord,  that  is,  to  the  enduring  of  the 
cross  and  death.  But  whether  this  acceptation  of  the  title  will 
uniformly  and  univei  sally  apply  to  all  these  Psalms,  that  I 
leave  to  the  consideration  and  judgment  of  the  reader. 


148  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

I  willingly  receive  this  Psalm  as  being  both  a  song  of  vic- 
tory and  an  invitation ;  because,  all  triumphal  songs  of  this 
kind  are  wont  to  rouse  and  animate  the  spirit  to  war  in  a  won- 
derful manner;  and  ylso  do  the  Psalms  wonderfully  animate 
the  faithful  of  Christ  both  to  the  battles  and  the  trophies  of 
the  cross.  And  thus,  I  can  reconcile  all  things,  making  the 
title  to  signify,  'to  --.'iotory,'  'to  the  conqueror,'  'for  an  invita- 
tion.' In  a  word  this  seems  to  be  the  true  meaning  of  the 
title,  because  the  whole  Psalms  tend  to  this,  —  that,  being 
animated  by  their  incitements  of  the  spirit,  we  may  conquer 
and  gain  the  great  object  over  all  our  enemies  and  sins,  that 
nothing  may  be  left  us  but  the  triumph  of  glory. 

By  "organs,"  we  are  undoubtedly  to  understand  that  a 
general  kind  is  put  for  a  particular;  that  is,  that  we  are  to 
receive  it  as  signifying  harps,  because  it  is  said,  i  Chron.  15  :2i, 
that  the  songs  of  victory  should  be  sung  to  harps.  For  organ, 
in  this  passage,  is  a  noun  which,  in  the  Hebrew,  signifies  any 
kind  of  musical  instrument. 

But  concerning  the  effect  of  music  and  the  praises  of  it, 
I  shall  say  nothing  here,  for  they  have  been  abundantly  treated 
by  others ;  except  that  it  here  appears  that  the  use  of  music 
was  of  old  held  sacred  and  applied  to  divine  things,  but  in  the 
lapse  of  time  it  has,  like  every  thing  else,  been  abused  to  the 
service  of  luxury  and  lust.  It  was  by  music  that  the  evil  spirit 
was  made  to  depart  from  Saul,  i  Sam.  16:23.  ^"d  by  the 
same  a  spirit  of  prophecy  was  communicated  to  Elisha,  2  Kings 

3:  15- 

This  most  obscure  Psalm,  as  I  have  already  observed,  is 
variously  expounded.  Augustine  believes  that  they  either  are 
the  words  of  Christ  after  his  resurrection,  or  of  a  member  of 
his  church  who  is  possessed  of  faith  and  hope.  Of  Lyra  and 
Burgensis  I  shall  say  nothing,  the  former  of  whom  interpreted 
it  in  a  way  that  made  against  the  Saulites,  the  latter  against 
idolatries.  Jerome  thinks  it  is  to  be  understood  of  Christ  only. 
All  and  each  of  these  interpretations  and  acceptations  are  out 
of  my  way.     I  shall  follow  my  own  spirit  and  abound  in  my 


PSALM   IV.  149 

own  acceptation  of  the  Psalm,  but    without    any    prejudice 
against  the  judgment  of  another. 

I  have  thought  that  this  Psahn  is  a  general  exhortation  to 
the  people  of  God ;  especially  to  those,  who  being  ignorant  of 
the  works  and  ways  of  God,  hate  the  wisdom  of  the  cross. 
Among  whom  the  Jews,  the  children  of  Israel,  have  been  and 
still  are  the  first,  and  they  should  be  the  most  experienced  in 
this.  For. as  the  apostle  saith,  Rom.  3:19,  "We  know  that 
what  things  soever  the  law  saith,  it  speaketh  to  them  that  are 
under  the  law."  Wherefore,  David  being  himself  experiment- 
ally taught  by  one,  or  rather  by  many  of  his  temptations, 
teaches  them,  from  his  own  example,  what  they  should  do  and 
how  they  ought  to  conduct  themselves  under  every  tribulation. 
And  thus,  according  to  its  title,  the  Psalm  will  be  an  exhorta- 
tion to  victory ;  which  the  words  of  the  Psalm  themselves  show, 
whereby  he  commends  himself  to  them  as  their  teacher,  saying, 
*0  ye  sons  of  men,'  'know,'  'be  ye  angry,'  'offer  sacrifices,'  'put 
your  trust,'  etc. 

V.  I.    Anszver  me  zvhcn  I  call,  O  God  of  my  righteousness. 

Rev.  vcr. 

Y,  I,  —  When  I  called,  the  God  of  my  righteousness  heard 

me. 

At  the  beginning  he  instructs  the  tender  and  querulous, 
teaching  them  that  they  are  not  to  run  any  where  else,  but 
to  call  upon  God  in  all  the  tribulations  that  may  come  upon 
them,  of  whatever  kind  they  may  be.  As  often,  saith  he,  as 
I  called,  and  I  called  as  often  as  I  was  in  tribulation,  as  he 
saith,  Ps.  120:1,  "In  my  distress  I  cried  unto  the  Lord,"  so 
often  the  Lord  heard  me ;  so  merciful  is  the  Lord  and  so  ready 
to  pity  those  that  call  upon  him.  Why,  therefore,  do  ye  tender 
and  fearful  ones  fill  all  things  with  complaints?  Ye  seek  con- 
solation in  vain  by  fleeing  unto  man,  and  ye  know  not,  nor 
seek  after  this  only  remedy  of  fleeing  unto  God. 

Observe  here  the  divine  art  of  the  teacher  and  his  incom- 
parable oratory.  In  one  and  the  same  introduction  he  accom- 
plishes three  things.     First,  turning  to  the  children  of  men, 


150  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

and  feeling  a  concern  for  them  in  brotherly  love,  he  teaches 
them  all  to  what  they  should  flee  when  in  trouble;  and  this 
ho  does  from  his  own  example,  and  with  a  most  modest  glory- 
ing. I,  says  he,  was  wont  to  do  that  myself  which  I  now  re- 
commend to  you.  Secondly,  that  he  may  render  them  docile 
and  obedient  to  him,  he  commends  to  them  the  divine  mercy. 
He  says,  "And  he  heard  me ;"  as  if  he  had  said,  I  am  per- 
suaded that  he  will  also  hear  you  most  mercifully,  if  ye  do 
but  take  courage  and  call  upon  him.  Thirdly,  and  this  is  the 
principal  thing,  like  a  most  able  orator,  he  begins  with  grati- 
tude and  praise,  which  is,  in  the  things  both  of  God  and  men, 
the  most  effectual  way  of  producing  a  willing  mind.  For 
thus,  we  are  commanded  also  to  begin  the  Lord's  Prayer  with 
"Our  Father,"  repeating  and  comprehending  in  those  words 
and  their  all-sweet  corresponding  feelings,  all  the  kindnesses 
of  God. 

The  reason  why  he  addresses  his  words  to  the  sons  of 
men,  which  he  ought  to  address  unto  God,  is  this ;  he  did  not 
wish  to  leave  them  to  come  before  God  alone  and  empty,  and 
therefore,  he  is  desirious  of  gaining  their  good  will,  and  being 
concerned  for  the  salvation  of  his  brethren,  he  instructs  the 
weak.  For  directly  afterwards,  in  what  follows,  he  addresses 
his  words  unto  God  only,  saying,  "Thou  hast  enlarged  me;" 
wherein  he  now  brings  with  him  into  the  presence  of  God  those 
to  whom  he  had  spoken  just  before,  that  they  not  only  may 
sec  what  God  did  for  him  in  his  former  troubles  and  tribula- 
tions, but  may  behold  also  an  example  of  the  manner  in  which 
he  is  v/ont  to  flee  unto  God  in  every  present  tribulation ;  and 
thus  he  most  sweetly  instructs  and  comforts  both  by  word 
and  by  example. 

Now  with  respect  to  the  words,  "O  God  of  my  righteous- 
ness," they  may  be  also  expressed  without  peril  thus,  "O  God 
my  righteousness."  For  though  I  do  not  deny  that  the  words 
signify  and  imply  that  righteousness  is  of  God,  and  that  it  is 
God  alone  that  justifies;  yet,  that  prophet  appears  to  me  to 
touch  upon  the  main  point  of  the  question  or  complaint  before 


PSALM   IV.  151 

him,  namely,  that  complaint  which  the  weaker  ones  are  accus- 
tomed to  make,  that  they  consider  themselves  to  have  heen  in- 
jured by  their  adversaries,  and  that,  therefore,  they  may  with 
justice  show  indignation  and  be  angry.  These,  therefore,  the 
prophet  does  not  attack  with  severity,  but,  as  I  said,  tenderly 
admonishes  them  that  they  are  to  forget  their  own  righteous- 
ness and  are  to  commit  it,  together  with  their  whole  cause, 
unto  God  who  judgeth  righteously ;  and  to  arrogate  no  more 
of  righteousness  to  themselves  than  shall  seem  good  unto  God, 
as  Peter  saith  concerning  Christ,  i  Pet.  2  123,  "who,  when  he 
was  reviled,  reviled  not  again ;  whea  he  suffered  he  threatened 
not ;  but  committed  himself  unto  him  that  judgeth  righteously," 
that  is,  he  committed  the  matter  unto  God,  who  judgeth  right- 
eously. And  thus  David  here  saith,  whenever  I  suffer  injuries, 
1  call  upon  the  God  of  my  righteousness,  being  willing  and 
rcc'dy  to  take  for  righteousness  that  which  he  shall  adjudge. 
And  therefore,  I  know  nothing  of  any  righteousness  of  my 
ov/n ;  I  know  nothing  but  God  only  and  his  holy  will. 

Is  not  this  then  a  most  excellent  way  of  consoling  the 
weak,  not  indeed  to  condemn  their  cause,  nor  yet  to  justify  it, 
but  to  take  it  out  of  their  hands  and  to  commit  it  unto  God; 
and  thus  to  put  both  them  and  their  cause  into  his  hands,  that 
they  may  consider  that  to  be  righteousness  which  God  may 
think  proper,  and  thus  patiently  submit  to  the  will  of  God? 

This  interpretation  of  the  passage  I  more  willingly  follow, 
because  "my  righteousness,"  according  to  the  mode  of  ex- 
pression used  in  the  scriptures,  signifies  more  particularly  a 
man's  own  cause  than  that  grace  which  justified,  for  that  is 
more  usually  called  the  righteousness  of  God;  as  in  Rom.  1:17, 
"Therein  is  revealed  a  righteousness  of  God  from  faith  unto 
faith."  And  again,  Ps.  31:1,  "Deliver  me  in  thy  righteousness" 
not  in  mine.  Whereas,  in  the  other  case  it  is  said.  Gen.  30 133, 
"So  shall  my  righteousness  answer  for  me  hereafter."  And 
again,  Ps.  7  :8,  "Judge  me,  O  Jehovah,  according  to  my  right- 
eousness, and  to  mine  integrity  that  is  in  me."  For  this  is 
the  righteousness  between  man  and   man ;   which   also   God 


152  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

jnclgeth,  though  it  sufficeth  not  for  any  one  before  God.  There- 
fore does  David  rightly  call  men  away  from  a  trust  in  their 
own  righteousness,  and  transfer  it  over  into  the  hand  of  God, 
lest  perhaps  they  should  be  found  deserving  to  suffer  much 
greater  things  before  God,  however  just  they  may  be  before 
men. 

Indeed  this  is  a  most  useful  doctrine,  though  it  is  always 
neglected  by  men.  For  if  this  doctrine  were  held  and  acted 
out,  there  would  not  be  so  many  courts,  causes,  laws,  strifes, 
and  contentions.  All  men  have  upon  their  tongues'  ends  jus- 
tice !  justice !  —  right !  right !  —  but  there  are  few  who  commit 
their  justice  or  righteousness  unto  God  according  to  the  exam- 
ple and  the  word  here  set  before  us.  Hence,  the  whole  world 
is  in  a  tumult  for  justice  and  right,  and  contends  for  it  by 
wars,  commotions,  bloodshed,  and  innumerable  enormities  of 
sins  and  evils ;  and  indeed,  things  are  so  that  justice  becomes 
almost  the  only  cause  of  all  injustice.  For  error  has  so  blinded 
men  that  they  immediately  think  that  to  be  righteousness  or 
justice  before  God  also,  which  they  may  have  learned  from 
the  dissertations,  opinions,  and  decrees  of  men,  to  be  justice. 
Concerning  this,  much  more  might  be  said  and  ought  to  be 
said,  if  we  had  not  now  another  object  before  us. 

Thou  hast  set  me  at  large  (enlarged  unto  me)  wlien  I 
zvas  in  distress. 

This  is  a  repetition ;  for  to  be  heard  and  to  be  enlarged  are 
the  same  thing;  as  we  find  it  also  in  Ps.  118:5,  "Out  of  my 
distress  I  called  upon  Jehovah :  Jehovah  answered  me  and  set 
me  in  a  large  place." 

This,  "thou  hast  enlarged  unto  me,"  or  this  'enlarging,' 
is  a  Hebraism  and  a  mataphor  or  a  metonymy  peculiar  to  the 
scriptures,  which  we  without  a  figure  call  'a  comforting,'  as 
on  the  contrary  we  call  sorrow  and  affliction  'a  straitening.' 
For  as  the  heart  and  all  the  senses  are  contracted  while  they 
flee  from,  and  are  in  dread  of  sorrow,  and  as,  when  evil  presses 
on  every  side,  there  is  a  straitening  and  a  total  contraction  into 
a  confined  space ;  so,  the  same  senses  are  enlarged  and  dilated 


PSALM   IV.  153 

when  the  evil  is  taken  away,  and  good  and  pleasant  things  are 
again  brought  to  us.  And  indeed,  how  very  descriptively  are 
the  natures  of  distress  and  joy  set  forth  by  that  expression  ? 
For  we  see  how  the  forehead  and  the  whole  countenance  are 
contracted  by  care  and  trouble,  and  dilated  by  joy  and  gladness. 
Hence  it  is  said  concerning  the  wicked  in  the  Psalms,  'They 
sivall  be  afraid  out  of  their  close  places.'  Hence  also  the 
apostle,  Rom.  2  :g,  joins  "tribulation"  and  "anguish"  together, 
that  is,  evil  and  the  attempted  escape  from  evil,  but  from 
which  evil  there  is  no  escape. 

It  appears  as  if  the  expression 'ought  to  be,  "Thou  hast 
erilarged  me,"  rather  than  "Thou  hast  enlarged  unto  me." 
But  it  is  a  peculiar  idiom  of  the  Hebrew  verbs  to  stand  absol- 
uiely  and  to  include,  elliptically,  an  accusative  case  of  the  noun, 
or  to  admit  of  being  resolved  into  a  verbal  noun.  As  here, 
"Thou  hast  enlarged  unto  me,"  that  is,  'thou  hast  made  an 
enlargement  unto  me,'  'thou  hast  been  my  enlarger;'  that  is, 
thou  hast  given  me  consolation  whenever  I  have  called  upon 
thee  in  my  distresses. 

Thus  a  willingness  of  mind  is  produced  and  the  weaker 
ones  are  instructed.  Nay,  if  thou  wilt,  thou  mayest  under- 
stand this  verse  to  be  the  argument  of  the  whole  Psalm,  for  the 
psalmist  proposes  to  instruct  the  weak  to  call  upon  God,  to 
commit  their  cause  into  the  hand  of  God,  to  praise  the  justice 
of  God,  and  to  seek  consolation  no  where  else,  but  to  expect 
certain  consolation  from  God,  with  all  the  great  fruits  thereof; 
and  this  he  teaches  them  most  effectually  by  his  own  example, 
but  yet  so,  that  he  joins  himself  as  a  companion  with  them, 
and  makes  their  case  one  v/ith  his  own. 

Haz'c  vicrcy  upon  mc,  and  hear  my  prayer. 

I  confess,  saith  he,  that  thou  hast  heard  me  when  I  called 
upon  thee;  for  which,  I  not  only  give  thee  thanks,  but  rest 
confidently  assured,  that,  as  sufferings  will  hereafter  always 
abound  in  us,  so  thou  wilt  always  hear  them  that  call  upon 
thee;  under  which  confidence,  being  now  again  sunk  into  dis- 


154  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

tress,  I  again  call  upon  thee  that  thou  woulclst  again  hear 
me. 

As  these  words  form  in  the  Hebrew  the  latter  part  of  the 
first  verse,  I  would,  according  to  my  judgment,  understand  the 
whole  of  this  verse  as  being  a  certain  form  prescribed  to  the 
weaker  ones,  showing  them  the  way  in  which  they  should 
proceed  when  in  tribulation  from  the  injustice  of  others.  I 
would  understand  the  last  clause  of  it  to  be  a  piece  of  fore- 
tasted food,  as  it  were,  whereby  the  prophet  would  teach  them 
?.s  children,  and  would  have  them  use  those  words  whenever 
they  approach  God  to  call  upon  him ;  namely  these,  "Have 
mercy  upon  me,  and  hearken  unto  my  prayer ;"  that  they  may 
first  implore  the  mercy  of  God  upon  themselves  and  for  their 
sins,  on  account  of  which,  perhaps,  they  have  deserved  far 
worse  things  than  those  they  now  suffer,  and  that  thus  they 
might  first  forget  all  revenge  and  commit  their  cause  into  the 
hand  of  God,  and  then  beg  to  be  heard;  for,  "The  just  man 
first  accuseth  himself,"  Prov.  18:17,  And,  'He  that  pleaseth 
God  pitieth  first  his  own  soul,'  Sir.  30 :24.  Therefore,  the 
person  first  implores  grace  for  himself,  and  then  prays  to  be 
delivered  from  punishment.  But  this  I  do  not  assert  positively 
to  be  the  meaning  of  the  passage. 

But  be  it  so,  that  this  is  a  new  tribulation  and  a  new  calling 
upon  God;  yet,  as  I  said,  we  may  thereby  be  instructed,  that 
we  are  not  to  be  so  much  concerned  about  the  punishment  as 
about  the  sin ;  and  that  we  are  first  of  all  to  obtain  the  mercy 
of  God,  lest  perhaps  after  the  perverse  manner  of  fools,  we 
should  forget  our  own  fault  which  merited  the  punishment  and 
look  only  at  the  fault  of  others,  which  was  designed  to  work 
our  punishment,  thus  leaving  the  beam  in  our  own  eye  and 
setting  about  to  cast  the  mote  out  of  our  brother's  eye.  Where- 
as, he  who  is  in  distress  is  first  of  all  to  pray  for  mercy  on 
the  cause  of  the  distress,  which  is  sin,  not  to  pray  against  the 
distress  itself.  Therefore  God  must  first  have  mercy,  and  then 
hear  those  on  whom  he  has  mercy. 

Thus  you  see  that  the  Psalms  were  written  by  the  Holy 


PSALM   IV.  *        155 

Spirit  to  this  end,  that  they  may  administer  consolation  to  those 
who  are  under  tribulation.  Hence,  what  have  they  to  do  with 
the  Psalms  who  have  nothing  to  do  with  tribulation?  And 
those  who  are  less  willing  to  suffer  tribulation  at  this  day,  than 
these  who  are  employed  in  the  Psalms  day  and  night,  or  rather, 
v/ho  ought  to  be  employed  in  them  ?  Does  not,  therefore,  Amos 
6  :5  apply  unto  such,  where  it  speaks  of  certain  characters  in- 
venting unto  themselves  instruments  of  music  like  David?  For 
how  shall  they  harp,  who  fill  the  world  with  bloodshed  for  the 
obtaining  of  their  riches,  privileges,  and  rites,  not  being  content 
with  their  own  thundering  decrees?  Hence,  at  this  day,  the 
I'salter  is  used  for  nothing  else  but  for  the  noise  of  chantings 
and  mutterings,  which  is  a  use  most  unworthy  of  it  and  yet  it 
is  perpetual. 

V.  2.  —  0  ye  sons  of  men,  hozv  long  shall  my  glory  he 
turned  into  dishonor  (hozv  long  zvill  ye  be  of  a  heavy  heart)  ? 
Why  do  ye  love  vanity,  and  seek  after  falsehood  (lying)  f 
Selah. 

Jerome  translates  the  passage  thus :  "O  ye  sons  of  man, 
how  far,  my  renowned  ones,  will  ye  shamefully  love  vanity 
and  seek  after  lying?"  This  holy  man  certainly  touches  upon 
the  force  of  the  Hebrew  words,  for  this  verse  says  nothing 
whatever  about  the  heart,  and  therefore  it  is  clear  that  our 
translator,  whoever  he  was,  was  in  error  and  read  B  for  K; 
and,  what  is  more,  divided  one  word  into  two,  reading,  instead 
of  LiCHLiMMA^  which  signifies  'into  shame,'  leb  lamma,  which 
signifies  'heart,  why.'  And  therefore,  that  which  Jerome  has 
tianslated,  as  from  one  word,  'shamefully,'  our  translator  has 
rendered,  as  from  two  words,  'heart,  why :'  and  what  is  in  the 
Hebrew  CHEr.ODi,  which  our  translator  has  rendered  "heavy," 
Jerome  has  rendered  'my  renowned  ones,'  or  'my  glorious 
ones,'  for  'glory,'  in  the  Hebrew,  is  expressed  nearly  by  the 
same  word  as  'heaviness.' 

Nor  has  the  Hebrew  "sons  of  men,"  but  sons  isch,  that  is, 
'sons  of  the  hero;'  just  as  it  is  said,  Ps.  i  :i,  "Blessed  is  the 
man,"  or  "Blessed  man."     For  he  is  not  here  speaking  of  the 


156  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

sons  of  Adam,  so  as  to  mean  the  generation  according  to  the 
flesh :  he  does  not  seem  to  address  the  sons  of  the  flesh,  nor 
to  be  speaking  as  to  the  sons  of  the  flesh ;  but,  he  seems  to  be 
as  a  master,  a  preceptor,  or  one  of  some  greater  authority, 
addressing  his  minors  and  sons. 

First  of  ah  I  will  pour  out  my  spirit  upon  the  passage,  and 
then  we  will  see  to  all  the  rest.  I,  therefore,  translate  the  verse 
tl:us :  "O  ye  sons  of  the  man,  how  long  will  ye  turn  my  glory 
into  shame,  love  vanity,  and  seek  after  lying  ?  Selah."  Hence, 
these  seem  to  be  the  words  of  the  prophet  spoken  in  the  person 
of  God  the  Father,  or  of  Christ,  who  is  speaking  first  of  all 
to  the  Jews  and  then  to  the  Gentiles,  as  the  apostle  is  accus- 
tomed to  speak.  So  that  the  sense  is,  O  ye  sons  of  Israel,  how 
long  shall  my  name  be  polluted  among  you?  How  long  shall 
my  glory  be  exposed  to  shame  by  you,  while,  leaving  me  who 
am  the  truth  and  the  life,  ye  love  vanity  and  seek  after  lying? 
And  how  this  is  done  let  us  now  see, 

I  have  said  that  this  Psalm  is  an  exhortation  unto  those 
who,  being  destitute  of  faith,  are  offended  and  cast  down  in 
mind  at  the  cross  and  at  the  injuries  which  they  receive,  which 
is  the  evil  of  unbelief  and  the  sin  of  spiritual  idolatry ;  and  it 
is  of  such  sins  that  the  children  of  Israel  were  accused  in  the 
wilderness;  as  it  is  written,  Ps.  78:8,  "A  stubborn  and  re- 
bellious generation,  a  generation  that  set  not  their  heart  aright, 
and  whose  spirit  was  not  steadfast  with  God."  Here,  it  is  the 
sin  of  the  heart  that  is  evidently  meant,  which  was  distrust, 
ignorance  of  the  cross,  and  no  understanding  in  the  way  of 
God,  for  the  same  is  taught  in  Ps.  106:13:  "They  waited  not 
for  his  counsel ;"  of  which  sin  they  are  accused  throughout  the 
Old  Testament. 

And  it  is  from  this  sin  that  the  various  external  forms  oi 
idolatry  at  present  arise,  diversified  according  to  the  infinitely 
various  inclinations  of  men,  some  worshipping  this  god,  and 
some  that ;  and  every  one  transferring  the  glory  due  to  God 
unto  the  creature,  unto  that  creature  from  which  he  has  pros- 
pect or  hope  of  obtaining  the  consolation  he  requires. 


PSALM   IV.  157 

Now  since  the  glory  and  worship  of  God  consist  in  a  sin- 
cere faith,  firm  hope,  and  perfect  love  towards  him,  it  of  nec- 
essity follows,  that  he  who  neither  trusts  nor  believes  in  God, 
nor  loves  him,  but  comforts  himself  in  some  creature  or  other, 
turns  the  glory  of  God  into  shame,  and  seeks  that  name  and 
work  in  some  creature  which  he  ought  to  seek  in  God.  And 
this  is  what  all  do,  who  in  the  time  of  temptation  draw  back, 
for  it  is  ofsuch  in  particular  that  he  is  here  speaking. 

Hence  it  is,  that  the  world,  from  its  beginning  to  the  present 
has  been  full  of  idolatry.  Although  they  have  not  at  all  times 
adored  the  similitudes  of  creatures,  yet  they  have  the  same 
things  in  their  hearts,  which  are  the  head  and  fountain  of  all 
idolatries.  But  this  is,  as  I  have  said,  to  trust  in  things  and 
creatures,  and  to  be  pleased  and  delighted  with  them,  which  de- 
light, pleasure,  and  trust,  are  due  to  God  alone.  This  is  infidel- 
ity and  distrust,  and  from  these  come  contempt  and  hatred  of 
God. 

Thus,  Ps.  106:20,  "They  changed  their  glory  for  the  like- 
ness of  an  ox  that  eateth  grass ;"  in  which  verse,  is  beautifully 
described  the  power  of  idolatry.  The  Psalmist  calls  the  glory 
of  God  "their  glory,"  because  the  glory  of  God,  that  is,  the 
true  faith  and  worship  of  God,  was  with  them  only ;  by  which 
glory  of  God  it  was,  that  they  had  glory  both  before  God  and 
men.  Hence  it  is  said,  i  Sam.  4:21,  "The  glory  is  departed 
from  Israel."  And  Rom.  i  123,  "They  changed  the  glory  of 
of  the  incorruptible  God  for  the  likenesse  of  an  image  of 
corruptible  man."  For  what  is  the  changing  of  the  glory  of 
God,  but  the  changing  of  the  worship  of  God  ?  For  the  wor- 
ship of  God  is  nothing  else  than  the  glory  of  God  in  a  very 
short  compendium.  The  glory  of  God  is  nothing  else  than 
believing  in  him,  hoping  in  him,  and  loving  him.  Because,  he 
who  believes  in  him,  holds  him  as  true,  and  thereby  ascribes 
truth  unto  him ;  and  he  who  hopes  in  him,  holds  him  as  pow- 
erful, wise,  and  good,  and  as  a  God  by  whom  he  can  be  holpen 
and  saved,  and  thereby  ascribes  unto  him  a  power  that  can 
do  all  things,  a  wisdom  that  knows  all  things,  and  a  goodness 


158  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

that  is  willing  to  afford  all  help.  TRis  is  to  make  God  the  true 
God  and  to  hold  him  as  such.  Then,  by  and  by,  there  is 
kindled  a  love  in  him,  who  thus  from  his  heart  willingly  de- 
lights himself  in  such  a  God,  and  has  such  an  all-precious  view 
and  opinion  of  him. 

Whereas,  he  that  does  not  believe  in  God  makes  him  a 
liar ;  he  that  does  not  hope  in  him  makes  him  impotent,  ignor- 
ant, and  unwilling  to  help ;  which  are  horrible  things,  and  from 
these  will  of  necessity  follow  a  contempt  of  God,  and  then  fol- 
lows a  going  over  to  the  creature.  For  the  human  heart  must 
have  something  to  love  and  something  to  believe  and  trust  in : 
it  will  either  trust  in  riches,  or  favor,  or  its  own  strength,  or 
in  something  else  of  the  same  kind,  or  in  some  absurd  opinion 
concerning  the  true  or  a  false  God  that  may  be  published  to  the 
world.  If  by  the  permission  of  God  a  man  should  be  left  to 
find  any  comfort  therein  he  v/ill  go  after  it  with  his  whole 
heart  and  affections;  and  thus,  the  power,  the  goodness,  and 
all  things  which  belong  to  the  glory  of  God,  are  turned  into 
shame  and  given  unto  that  to  which  they  are  not  due. 

Thus  also.  Is.  42  :8,  "My  glory  I  will  not  give  to  another, 
neither  my  praise  to  graven  images."  He  gives  indeed  all  good 
things  even  unto  his  enemies,  but  glory  he  reserves  to  himself 
only;  for  all  good  things  that  are  sought  after  or  received, 
cannot  be  ascribed  unto  any  but  God  alone,  whose  goodness 
and  true  divinity  are  hereby  declared.  Matt.  19:17;  John  17:3. 

If  we  understand  these  things  thus,  I  think  the  verse  is 
easily  explained,  and  it  shows  that  those  who  are  ignorant  of 
the  cross  and  destitute  of  faith,  when  they  once  begin  to  fight 
against  the  glory  of  God,  soon  afterwards  pollute  and  prostitute 
it  and  flee  unto  any  thing  else  rather  than  unto  God  for  help 
and  seek  counsel,  assistance,  and  salvation,  not  from  him  whose 
alone  they  are,  but  from  his  creatures  whose  they  are  not;  be- 
cause, they  do  not  believe  the  last  verse  of  the  preceding  Psalm 
—  "Salvation  belongeth  unto  Jehovah,  and  thy  blessing  be 
upon  thy  people." 

Let  us  now  see  the  peculiar  force  and  experimental  con- 


PSALM   IV.  159 

tents  of  this  verse.  First,  as  it  is  a  powerful  and  close  ex- 
hortation, he  addresses  those  to  whom  he  speaks  with  the  most 
worthy  appellation,  "O  ye  sons  of  the  man."  By  which  "man" 
whether  we  understand  Israel  or  Christ,  it  is  one  and  the  same 
thing.  Though  I  should  rather  understand  Abraham,  because 
I  receive  the  Psalm  as  addressed,  first,  to  the  Jews,  for  Abra- 
ham is  called  "the  father  of  many  nations ;"  and  it  is  said,  not 
in  this  passage  only,  but  in  Is.  51  :i-2,  also,  with  a  like  ex- 
hortation, "Look  unto  the  rock  whence  ye  were  hewn,  and 
to  the  hole  of  the  pit  whence  ye  are  digged.  Look  unto  Abra- 
ham your  father,  and  unto  Sarah  that  bare  you ;  for  when  he 
was  but  one  I  called  him,  and  blessed  him,  and  made  him 
many."  As  if  he  had  said,  attend,  not  to  the  manner  of  your 
being  born  from  him  carnally,  but  unto  my  having  called  him, 
and  to  his  being  justified,  not  by  the  flesh,  but  by  faith  in  me. 
And  this  is  what  ye  ought  to  be  and  to  do  also,  if  ye  would  be 
his  children,  as  it  is  said,  John  8:39,  "If  ye  were  Abraham's 
children,  ye  would  do  the  works  of  Abraham." 

Hence,  as  he  is  not  here  setting  Abraham  before  them  as 
their  father  according  to  the  flesh,  but  is  advising  them  to  be- 
come his  spiritual  children,  he  says,  "O  ye  sons  of  the  man," 
rather  than,  "O  ye  sons  of  men,"  And  though  they  are  a 
bastard  and  spurious  offspring  before  God,  and  boast  of  Abra- 
ham according  to  the  flesh,  being  destitute  of  faith ;  yet  he 
condescends  to  put  the  honor  upon  them,  that  he  might  the 
more  gently  and  effectually  make  them  such  as  he  calls  them : 
just  in  the  same  way  as  Paul  addresses  the  Galatians  as  the 
churches.  Gal.  i  :2,  when  they  were  at  the  same  time  seduced 
and  fallen  from  the  faith  of  the  church.  Nevertheless,  David 
by  a  side  blow  strikes  at  their  degenerate  mind,  because  though 
they  are  the  sons  of  so  great  a  hero,  they  do  any  thing  but 
show  themselves  to  be  such. 

Then  there  is  that  inquiry,  "How  long?"  which  carries 
with  it  a  wonderful  force,  because,  it  at  the  same  time  com- 
mends to  us  the  astonishing  sweetness  of  the  long-sufifering  of 
God  and  also  pities  their  long  and  perilous  neglect  of  their 


l60  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

salvation.  As  though  he  had  said,  since  ye  are,  or  rather  ought 
to  be  the  sons  of  so  great  a  man,  in  whom  alone  ye  make  your 
boast ;  how  long,  at  the  awful  peril  of  your  salvation,  and  by 
the  abtise  of  the  long-suffering  of  God,  will  ye  show  yourselves 
to  be  such  as  ye  now  are?  How  long  will  ye  so  degenerate,  as 
to  be  the  sons  of  so  great  a  man  in  name  only?  And  this  ye 
do  while  ye  neither  believe  nor  hope  in  God,  in  whom  he  be- 
lieved. Nay,  ye  turn  this  glory  of  confidence  in  me  into  your 
own  confusion  and  shame,  and  mine  also ;  for  ye  know  not 
ill  the  time  of  adversity,  that  there  is  no  refuge  to  flee  unto  but 
myself.  For,  as  I  have  said  in  Is.  46  4,  "I  have  made,  and  I 
will  bear:  yea  I  will  carry,  and  will  deliver  you."  Why  does 
another  enjoy  my  glory,  who  cannot  fulfil  it?  Why  is  not  that 
glory  given  unto  me,  who  alone  am  able  to  do  all  those  things, 
and  am  willing  to  do  them,  and  to  whom  alone  all  the  glory  is 
clue?  You  see  therefore  how  sweet  and  yet  how  forcible,  this 
expostulation  is. 

Again,  this  carries  with  it  a  powerful  weight,  —  his  asking 
liow  k  is  that  his  glory  is  turned  into  shame?  not  any  glory, 
but  his  own  proper  glory?  At  the  very  hearing  of  which, 
every  godly  mind  ought  to  tremble.  For  it  is  a  horrible  thing 
to  hear  that  the  glory  of  God  is  turned  into  shame  and  his 
praise  into  blasphemy,  w^hich  glory  every  creature  strives  to 
venerate  with  all  its  powers,  Ps.  19:2. 

And  he  himself  makes  this  of  so  much  moment  that  he 
uses  an  elliptical  mode  of  expression,  omitting  the  z'c/b  by  an 
aposiopesis,  or  silence,  saying,  "How  long  my  glory  into 
shame?"  that  is,  will  ye  change,  or  turn,  etc.,  as  Paul  saith, 
Rom.  I  :23,  "And  changed  the  glory  of  the  incorruptible  God," 
etc.  For  by  this  aposiopesis,  or  silence,  he  intimates  that  this 
crime  is  so  great  that  it  is  too  awful  to  be  named,  from  the 
horror  of  the  wickedness  implied  in  it.  For  he  would  say,  the 
sin  would  have  been  much  less  if  ye  had  abused  any  of  the 
creatures  and  turned  them  into  shame,  and  had  brought  the 
glory  of  my  works  into  contempt.  But,  not  only  to  refuse  to 
give  me  the  glory,  but  even  to  take  it  from  me  wilfully,  to  turn 


PSALM   IV.  l6l 

it  into  shame,  this  is  a  wickedness  at  which  the  very  heavens 
themselves  may  tremble,  which  the  ears  cannot  endure  to  hear 
and  which  the  tongue  fears  to  utter.  Behold  with  what  power 
of  words  our  God  urges  us  to  believe  in  him,  unto  our  salvation. 

Now  it  will  be  easy  to  reconcile  the  other  translations  with 
my  own,  though  they  do  not  so  expressivel  give  the  true  sense 
of  the  passage,  "O  ye  sons  of  men,"  etc.  As  if  ye  would  say, 
ye  are  indeed  the  sons  of  men,  rather  than  the  sons  of  the  man 
whom  ye  ought  to  represent ;  but  ye  savor  of  the  flesh  of  him 
and  of  your  fathers,  rather  than  of  thejr  faith.  But  "how  long 
v.'ill  ye  be  of  a  heavy  heart  ?"  How  long  will  ye  be  unbelieving 
in  heart  and  rush  backwards  under  the  weight  of  unbelief,  rest- 
ing in  a  trust  in  created  things,  and  giving  unto  creatures  that 
glory  which  ye  ought  to  ascribe  unto  me?  This  we  have  al- 
ready fully  set  forth. 

Thus  also  that  rendering  of  Jerome,  "O  ye  sons  of  the  man, 
how  long  will  ye  shamefully  love  vanity,  and  seek  after  lying?" 
As  if  he  had  said,  this  is  to  the  shame  both  of  my  glory  and 
of  yours,  that,  forsaking  all  trust  in  mc,  ye  love  something  else 
rather  than  me,  who  alone  am  the  truth,  etc. 

In  a  beautiful  order  David  says  first  that  "vanity"  is  loved, 
and  then  that  "lying"  is  sought  after.  For  there  is  first  of 
all  the  aflfection  of  the  mind  itself,  or  the  love,  or  will,  or  de- 
sire; which,  if  it  be  perverse  and  wicked,  immediately  begets 
wicked,  false  and  lying  opinions.  For  on  these  two,  the  will 
and  the  opinion,  turns  the  whole  life  of  every  man,  as  it  is  set 
forth  in  the  first  Psalm.  Hence  it  is  that,  contrary  to  what 
Moses  teaches,  Deut.  12:8,  "Every  man  doeth  that  which 
seemeth  right  in  his  own  eyes."  This  desire,  this  counsel  of 
the  wicked,  and  these  vain  thoughts  of  man,  the  Holy  Spirit 
here  reproves,  calling  them  all  lies ;  and  we  see  through  all 
the  scriptures  the  same  that  we  find  throughout  the  Psalter. 
Therefore  the  love  of  vanity  turns  away  the  affections,  which 
being  turned  away,  the  mind  is  at  once  infected  with  false 
opinions ;  and  thus  as  it  has  a  wrong  love  of  things  it  forms  a 
wrong  judgment  of  them,  and  while  the  man  is  walking  in  his 


l62  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

own  blinded  mind  throug-h  malice  he  imagines  that  he  is 
walking  in  the  truth,  in  wisdom,  and  in  the  light,  though  he 
is  only  walking  in  error  and  his  own  lies. 

Every  word  in  this  passage  has  its  peculiar  force.  The 
whole  book  of  Ecclesiastes  defines  fully  that  "vanity"  is  what- 
ever is  not  God.  If  the  salvation  which  a  man  seeks  be  vain, 
how  much  more  shall  every  thing  else  be  vain?  That  truly 
is  vanity,  when  a  man,  ignorant  of  the  cross  and  of  grace, 
seeks  salvation  and  help,  not  in  God,  but  in  something  else ; 
for  he  can  find  neither  salvation  nor  any  other  good  in  any 
thing  but  in  God :  all  things  else  are  vexation  of  spirit  and  an 
allurement  and  tickling  enticement  unto  consolation,  rather 
than  consolation  itself;  and  an  enticement  unto  salvation  and 
good,  rather  than  salvation  and  good  in  reality. 

Further,  to  have  vanity  is  not  the  greatest  of  evils,  for 
every  man  is  vanity,  Ps.  39 :6 ;  and  there  is  nothing  new  under 
the  sun,  Ecc.  i  :8 ;  and  though  it  be  an  evil,  it  is  bearable.  For 
there  is  no  one  saint  that  does  not  hope,  trust,  desire,  fear,  love, 
and  hate,  more  or  less,  in  a  way  and  manner  that  he  ought  not. 
But  this  body  of  sin  and  death,  these  laws  of  sin,  these  vani- 
ties, he  ought  to  hate,  not  to  love  nor  to  take  pleasure  in  them. 
To  use  the  comfort  and  help  of  a  creature  is  not  sin  nor 
wrong;  but  to  love  them  and  rest  in  them  alone,  and  from  a 
love  of  them,  not  to  trust  in  God    is  a  sin  of  ungodliness. 

Again  a  lie  is  a  less  sin  and  evil  than  to  seek  lying;  for 
any  one  may  embrace  vanity  instead  of  truth,  but  to  seek  it 
is  sin  and  ungodliness.  For  as  all  men  are  liars,  Ps.  116:11,  our 
seeking  is  to  be,  not  how  we  may  obey  and  direct  our  lives 
according  to  our  own  opinions,  our  own  judgment,  or,  as  they 
say,  the  dictates  of  our  own  reason ;  but  our  great  seeking  and 
endeavoring  are  to  be,  how  we  may  be  kept  from  obeying 
these,  and  how  we  may  be  led  and  guided  by  the  dictates  and 
will  of  God. 

Hence,  nothing  more  pestilential  and  destructive  can  be 
taught  a  Christian  man  than  moral  philosophy  and  the  decrees 


PSALM  IV.  163 

of  men,  if  they  be  so  set  before  him  as  to  make  him  believe 
that  he  can  walk  in  and  by  them  so  as  to  please  God.  For  by 
such  instruction  it  will  come  to  pass,  that  relying  on  this  wis- 
dom, he  will  judge,  condemn,  and  persecute  whatever  he  sees 
is  against  him,  and  will  thereby  reject  the  cross  of  Christ  and 
utterly  despise  the  way  of  God;  which  is  in  its  best  and  most 
prosperous  state  when  we  are  living  without  our  own  guid- 
ance and  wisdom  and  are  following,  as  through  a  desert  and 
wilderness,  Christ  in  a  pillar  of  fire.  For  this  is  loving,  not 
"vanity,"  but  that  which  is  solid  and  substantial,  and  seeking 
not  lies  but  the  truth.  But  all  these  things  are  better  felt  by 
experience  in  the  time  of  suffering  and  adversity  than  they 
can  possibly  be  described  in  v/ords,  or  imagined  by  the  heart; 
for  there  must,  as  we  have  said,  be  an  experience  of  these 
things  to  understand  the  words  of  God :  these  things  must 
not  only  be  spoken  of  and  known,  but  be  experienced  in  the 
life  and  felt.  Hence  David  saith,  Ps.  116:11,  "I  said  in  my 
haste,  all  men  are  liars."  Why  does  he  call  them  liars?  Be- 
cause, being  in  the  extremity  of  suffering  and  living  by  faith 
alone  in  God  and  being  stripped  of  all  confidence  in  created 
things  in  which  he  sees  all  men  immersed  and  overwhelmed,  he 
with  certainty  pronounces  all  their  affections  and  thoughts 
to  be  vain,  and  all  their  counsels  and  pursuits  to  be  lies,  be- 
cause they  are  destitute  of  faith  in  God.  If  they  are  without 
faith  in  God,  then  they  are  without  the  Word  of  God;  and  if 
they  are  without  the  Word  of  God,  then  they  are  without  the 
truth.  Thus  all  things  are  vain  and  lies  which  are  without 
faith;  for  faith  is  truth  on  account  of  the  Word  of  truth  in 
which  it  believes  and  to  which  it  cleaves  by  believing. 

Thus  then  we  have  the  true  sense  and  meaning  of  this 
verse,  that  all  are  ungodly  idolaters  and  polluters  of  the  glory 
of  God,  who  under  any  tribulation  draw  back  from  faith,  hope, 
and  love,  to  a  confidence  and  comfort  in  created  things,  and 
protect  and  direct  themselves  by  those  means. 

Concerning  the  small  word  "Selah"  we  have  already  said 


164  LUTHER  ON   THE  PSALMS. 

enough.  It  seems  to  be  put  here  for  the  purpose  of  denoting 
a  particular  feehng  of  the  mind.  And  truly  it  is  wonderful 
above  all  things  that  the  whole  human  race  is  so  immersed  and 
implicated  in  depraved  affections  and  opinions,  that  men  love 
vanity  and  seek  after  lying;  and  so  awfully  so  that  the  matter, 
from  the  greatness  and  extent  of  it,  cannot  be  sufficiently  set 
before  us  and  impressed  upon  our  minds. 

V.  3.  But  knozv  that  Jehovah  hath  set  apart  for  himself 
him  that  is  godly  (made  his  saint  to  he  a  zvonder)  :  Jehovah 
zvill  hear  zvhen  J  call  unto  him. 

A  most  wholesome  instruction !  For  the  reason  the  sons 
of  men  dread  the  cross  which  is  the  way  of  truth  and  of  that 
which  is  substantial,  and  rather  choose  to  seek  after  vanity  and 
lying  and  trust  in  created  things,  is  this,  —  they  are  in  ig- 
norance of  God,  as  the  apostle  saith,  i  Cor.  15:34,  "For  some 
have  no  knowledge  of  God" ;  they  know  not,  I  say,  what  God 
is  doing,  what  he  intends,  nor  what  his  thoughts  are,  when 
he  tries  us  by  tribulations;  for  they  judge  like  a  horse  or  a 
mule,  according  to  that  which  is  before  their  eyes  and  is  seen 
and  felt.  In  such  cases  nothing  appears  to  view  but  shame, 
want,  death,  and  all  those  things  which  are  shown  us  in  the 
sufferings  of  Christ.  And  if  thou  view  those  things  only, 
do  not  acknowledge  the  divine  will  in  them,  and  endure  and 
praise  that  will,  thou  must  of  necessity  be  offended  at  the  cross 
and  flee  to  thine  own  counsel  and  wisdom ;  and  thus  at  once 
become  an  idolater  and  give  unto  the  creature  that  glory  which 
is  due  unto  God  alone. 

When  Christ,  John  16:3,  showed  the  reason  the  Jews 
should  persecute  the  apostles,  and  turn  them  out  of  the  syna- 
gogue, he  said,  "These  things  will  they  do,  because  they  have 
not  known  the  Father  nor  me."  But  how  was  it  that  they 
did  not  know,  vdio  had  held  such  great  contentions  with  Christ 
about  God  ?  To  know  Christ  is  to  know  the  cross  and  to  un- 
derstand God  in  the  midst  of  the  crucifixion  of  the  flesh ;  this 
is  the  design  of  God,  this  is  the  wiR  of  God,  yea,  this  is  God. 


PSALM   IV.  165 

Therefore  their  hating  and  persecuting  the  cross  and  the  word 
of  the  cross,  as  being  contrary  to  their  affections  and  opini- 
ons, which  were  vanity  and  Hes,  are  the  cause  of  their  not 
knowing  God,  or  of  their  not  knowing  the  will  of  God,  which 
is  the  same. 

Thus  also,  when  he  said,  John  6:53,  "Except  ye  eat  the 
flesh  of  the  Son  of  Man  and  drink  his  blood,  ye  have  not  life 
in  yourselves :"  it  was  to  them  "a  hard  saying,"  and  many  of 
his  disciples  being  offended  from  that  time  forward  walked 
no  more  with  him.  Why  was  it  "a.  hard  saying?"  Because 
to  eat  the  flesh  of  Christ  and  to  drink  his  blood  is  to  be  in- 
corporated into  Christ  by  faith,  and  to  have  fellowship  with 
him  in  his  sufferings.  But  this  depraved  human  affection  and 
the  heart  that  is  corrupted  by  perverse  opinions  abhor  above 
all  things. 

To  this  David  alludes  when  he  says,  Fear  not;  nor  think 
that  ye  are  perishing,  if  your  own  affections  and  senses  are 
destroyed,  and  if  all  that  ye  suffer  seems  contrary  to  your 
own  opinions.  But  be  ye  wise  and  know  the  Lord  and  under- 
stand his  will  and  turn  away  your  eyes  that  they  behold  not 
vanity,  for  the  Lord  *is  wonderful  in  his  saints.  His  work 
upon  them  is  one  thing  in  appearance,  but  quite  a  different 
thing  in  reality.  He  seems  to  kill  but  in  reality  makes  alive; 
he  wounds,  but  in  reality  heals ;  he  confounds,  but  at  that  very 
time  in  reality  glorifies ;  he  brings  down  to  the  grave,  but  at 
that  very  time  rather  brings  up  from  the  grave.  All  his  works 
are  thus,  concerning  which  we  have  said  much  in  the  fore- 
going. 

What  then  is  more  wonderful  than  this  divine  will?  It 
dwelleth  indeed  on  high,  and  yet  hath  respect  unto  lowly 
things.  It  makes  men  fools  that  they  may  become  wise;  it 
makes  them  weak  that  they  may  become  strong.  But  it  is  the 
former  of  these  works  that  appears  and  is  felt :  thou  wilt 
never  arrive  at  the  understanding  of  the  latter  unless  thou 
have  faith.     Thus  Peter  saith  that  the  prophets  foretold  first 


l66  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS., 

the  sufferings  of  Christ,  and  then  the  glories  that  should  fol- 
low, I  Pet.  I  :ii. 

Therefore  we  stand  in  need  of  admonition  and  exhorta- 
tion that  we  may  be  raised  up  to  knowing  and  acknowledging 
God  in  such  cases.  David  saith,  "Know  that  he  hath  made  his 
saint  to  be  a  wonder."  As  though  he  had  said,  why  are  ye 
thus  tossed  to  and  fro?  Why  seek  ye  comfort  and  counsel 
from  this  quarter  and  from  that?  Why  do  ye  love  this  and 
that  consolation  ?  Vain  are  all  such  things.  They  are  not 
only  vain,  so  as  not  to  be  able  to  afford  you  any  help ;  but 
they  are  lies  also  and  miserably  deceive  you.  "Know  ye,"  and 
be  assured,  hear  ye  and  believe,  that  it  is  an  immutably  fixed 
decree,  that  whoever  will  be  a  saint  of  God,  whoever  will  ob- 
tain his  grace  and  be  acceptable  and  well  pleasing  unto  him, 
must  so  suffer  that  God  shall  be  wonderful  in  him !  Thus 
wonderful  he  cannot  be,  if  the  counsel  or  consolation  of  your- 
self or  of  any  other  creature  can  help  you.  For  all  such  things, 
which  are  not  above  and  beyond  your  own  ability  and  compre- 
hension are  not  wonderful  at  all.  But  when  ye  shall  be 
brought  to  despair  in  yourselves  and  in  every  other  created 
thing,  and  shall  commit  and  commend  your  cause  to  the  will 
of  God  only,  then,  behold,  your  righteousness  shall  break  forth 
as  the  light,  and  then  shall  God  bring  forth  your  judgment 
as  the  noon-day,  Ps.  37 :6,  in  a  manner  and  at  a  time  wholly  un- 
thought  of  either  by  yourselves  or  any  other  creature. 

The  word  "saint"  in  this  passage  is  in  the  Hebrew,  hasid; 
because  he  is  properly  a  saint  who  has  obtained  mercy,  and 
who,  as  we  term  it,  is  justified  by  grace.  We  are  to  receive  the 
expression  here  as  distributive  and  as  containing  a  definite 
number  for  an  indefinite.  "Know  ye  that  the  Lord  hath  made 
his  saint  wonderful,"  that  is,  his  saints.  Which  is  the  same 
as  if  he  had  said,  know  ye  that  the  Lord  wonderfully  works 
in,  and  rules  the  man,  whom  he  justifies  and  makes  a  partaker 
of  grace.  From  this  learn  that  whoever  will  please  God  must, 
as  I  said,  know  what  this  good,  and  acceptable,  and  perfect 


PSALM  IV.  167 

counsel  and  will  of  the  Lord  are?  For  Paul  saith,  Rom.  12:2, 
that  this  "will"  never  can  be  proved,  unless  ye  be  "transformed 
by  the  renewing  of  your  mind ;"  whereby  God  always  destroys 
our  own  affections  and  our  own  opinion. 

"Jehovah  will  hear  me,"  etc.  Here  again  he  teaches  the 
weak  both  by  word  and  by  example.  For  he  might  have  re- 
ferred this  to  the  saint,  who  he  before  Said  was  made  a  wonder, 
and  have  said,  Jehovah  will  hear  him  when  he  calls  unto  him. 
Or,  he  might  have  made  the  former  part  of  the  verse  accord 
with  the  latter,  and  have  said,  know  ye  that  the  Lord  hath 
made  me  a  wonder.  But  as  I  said,  'these  sudden  changes  of 
the  persons  set  forth  the  wonderful  varieties  and  changes  in 
the  feelings  and  affections ;  we  are  therefore  to  consider  the 
person  of  the  prophet  accordingly  and  see  how  concerned  he 
is  for  the  sons  of  men  in  all  this  variety,  addressing  the  saints 
at  one  time  as  in  a  body  collected  together,  at  another  as 
mingled  among  sinners,  that  he  might  thereby  gain  all.  He 
saith,  "Jehovah  hath  made  his  saint  a  wonder :"  and,  he  would 
add,  if  this  will  not  move  you,  I  tell  you  that  "Jehovah  will 
hear  me,"  who  also  am  one  of  the  saints,  that  is,  one  of  those 
who  have  obtained  his  grace. 

Behold  the  Psalmist's  affection  and  state  of  mind.  He  per- 
suades the  sons  of  men  to  endure  the  hand  of  God ;  but  as  that 
is  done  in  faith,  he  cannot  show  what  nor  how  it  is,  for  God,  as 
I  said,  is  not  visible.  Therefore  he  does  the  utmost  that  he 
can  do  and  all  that  lies  within  his  power :  he  promises  them 
the  help  of  God.  As  if  he  had  said,  I  can  do  this  and  this  is  the 
only  thing  that  I  have  power  to  do  for  your  consolation :  I  can 
with  confidence  promise  you  that  you  will  be  heard.  Therefore 
trust  with  firmness,  love  not  vanity,  nor  turn  the  glory  of  God 
into  shame;  but  wait  in  expectation  and  take  comfort  from 
this  my  example,  for  I  am  most  fully  persuaded  that  the  Lord 
will  hear  me,  not  in  this  hour  only  but  as  often  as  I  shall  call 
upon  him. 

Thus  we  see  the  godly  concern  of  a  spiritual  mind  for  the 


i68  Luther  on  the  psalms. 

brethren.  David  does  not  dare  to  boast  of  himself;  but  on  ac- 
count of  the  need  and  necessity  of  his  brother,  he  is  compelled 
to  bring  forth  himself  as  an  example,  as  the  apostle  Paul  also 
does  in  many  places :  thus,  "Be  ye  imitators  of  me,  even  as  I 
also  am  of  Christ,"  i  Cor.  ii:i.  Again,  "We  wronged  no 
man,"  2  Cor.  7  :2.  But  it  was  to  avoid  this  boasting  as  much 
as  possible,  as  it  seems,  that  David  spoke  of  the  "saint"  in  the 
former  part  of  the  verse  in  the  third  person,  that  he  might 
not  in  vain-glory  boast  that  he  was  one  with  whom  the  Lord 
dealt  wonderfully ;  and  of  which  in  the  latter  part  he  did  omit 
to  speak;  for  to  speak  of  calling  upon  God  is  not  any  great 
incitement  to  boasting,  but  rather  a  proof  of  affliction. 

The  good  Spirit  therefore  teaches  us,  that  in  our  being  made 
wonderful,  that  is,  in  our  tribulation,  we  should  do  nothing 
else  than  endure  our  wonder-maker,  the  Lord,  and  call  upon 
him ;  and  not  flee  from  sufferings  nor  seek  after  lies  nor  after 
those  things  which  seem  unto  vis  to  be  right  and  good ;  for 
such  things  are  alluring  shadows,  the  most  destructive  of  all. 

V.  4.  —  Stand  in  azve,  (be  ye  angry),  and  sin  not  ■.commune 
until  your  ozvn  heart  upon  your   bed,   and   be  still.     Selah. 
(zuhich  things  ye  speak  in  your  hearts :  and  be  filled  with  com 
punction  on  your  beds). 

The  Hebrew  according  to  the  authority  of  Jerome  is,  "Be 
ye  angry,  and  sin  not :  speak  in  your  own  hearts  upon  your 
beds,  and  be  silent."  Whence  it  is  manifest  that  the  relative 
pronoun  'which'  and  the  conjunction  'and'  are  in  our  trans- 
lation redundant ;  and  the  words  'be  filled  with  compunction' 
also  have  forced  our  translators  into  a  sense  that  is  not  agree- 
able to  the  original  text.  Therefore  let  us  first  consider  the 
Hebrew  of  the  passage. 

The  prophet  in  the  third  verse  called  back  the  sons  of  men 
from  vanity  and  lies ;  that  is,  from  corrupt  affections  and  false 
opinions,  and  therefore,  as  they  might  then  say,  what  shall 
we  next  do?  What  shall  we  strive  after  next?  Are  we  thus 
to  leave  all  things?    He  answers  them  in  this  fourth  verse  by 


PSALM   IV.  169 

telling  them,  that  they  should  trust  in  the  Lord  and  rest  upon 
his  mercy  and  know,  tliat  those  things  which  they  should  suffer 
from  the  injurious,  would  under  the  operation  of  God  tend, 
not  to  their  destruction,  but  to  their  salvation,  though  in  a 
way  altogether  wonderful. 

If  they  complainingly  ask  again,  but  who  is  there  that  can 
avoid  being  moved  and  becoming  angry?  Who  is  there  that 
can  help  murmuring  and  accursing  those  who  injure  them  ?  He 
kindly  replies,  "Be  ye  angry,"  but  not  so  as  to  "sin"  in  being 
angry.  I  know  that  the  motions  of  anger  are  not  in  your  own 
power ;  but  take  heed  that  ye  consent  hot  to  them.  Thus  Paul 
saith.  Gal.  5:16,  "Walk  by  the  Spirit,  and  ye  shall  not  fulfil 
the  lust  of  the  flesh."  And  Rom.  6:12,  "Let  not  sin  therefore 
reign  in  your  mortal  bodies,  that  ye  should  obey  the  lusts 
thereof."  Again,  Rom.  13  :i4,  "Make  not  provision  for  the 
flesh,  to  fulfil  the  lusts  thereof." 

All  these  scriptures  tend  to  show  us  that  there  are  evil 
desires  as  well  of  lust  as  of  anger  in  us,  but  that  we  are  to 
take  heed  that  they  reign  not,  that  is,  that  we  "obey"  them  not, 
as  Paul  saith.  Thus  he  complains,  Rom.  7:19,  "The  good 
which  I  would,  I  do  not :  but  the  evil  which  I  would  not, 
that  I  practice."  Again,  verse  25,  "So  then  I  of  myself  with 
the  mind  indeed  serve  the  law  of  God ;  but  with  the  flesh  the 
law  of  sin."  How  was  all  this?  Because  he  wished  to  be 
free  from  evil  desires,  but  could  not ;  and  to  have  pure  desires 
only,  but  could  not.  As  he  says  again,  Gal.  5:17,  "For  the 
flesh  lusteth  against  the  Spirit,  and  the  Spirit  against  the  flesh ; 
for  these  are  contrary  the  one  to  tlie  other ;  that  ye  may  not  do 
the  things  that  ye  would." 

It  is  manifest  therefore  that  the  words  here,  "Be  ye  angry," 
arc  not  words  of  command  or  of  exhortation  to  anger,  as 
being  proper  and  as  being  a  something  different  from  sin ; 
but  words  of  permission  or  of  concession  in  the  case  of  anger, 
though  evil,  when  any  injury  is  received;  on  account  of  the 
inevitable  and  invincible  infirmity  of  the  flesh.     Thus  August- 


f^O  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

ine  says  on  this  verse,  "Be  ye  angry  and  sin  not,"  means  that, 
although  the  motion  of  anger  should  rise  in  the  mind,  which 
now  on  account  of  the  punishment  of  sin  is  not  in  our  power; 
yet,  let  not  the  mind  and  will,  which  are  regenerate  within 
according  to  God,  consent  unto  it ;  that  with  the  mind  we  may 
serve  the  law  of  God,  though  with  our  flesh  we  still  serve  the 
law  of  sin.'  Thus  Augustine  speaks  excellently  and  beauti- 
fully. 

The  sense  therefore  is  plain.  "Be  ye  angry,  and  sin  not;" 
that  is,  forasmuch  as  ye  complain  that  ye  cannot  help  being 
moved,  being  hurt,  being  angry,  being  put  into  a  tremor,  for 
the  Hebrew  word  bears  all  these  significations,  under  so  great 
an  evil  as  an  injury  received ;  well !  your  heavenly  Father  knows 
this  your  infirmity :  be  ye  moved  and  angry ;  only  proceed  not 
so  far  as  to  think,  say,  do,  or  allow,  any  evil  against  your 
own  soul,  and  thus  sin  against  God,  yourselves,  and  your 
neighbor. 

This  sense  I  the  more  willingly  embrace,  because  the  spirit 
of  Paul,  which  I  desire  always  to  follow,  has  the  same  thing, 
Eph,  4:26,  where  he  saith,  "Be  ye  angry,  and  sin  not."  That 
he  does  not  speak  of  anger  here  as  proper  or  good,  which  would 
be  making  it  different  from  sin,  is  manifest  from  what  follows, 
"Let  not  the  sun  go  down  upon  your  wrath ;"  which  he  cer- 
tainly says  as  considering  anger  to  be  evil.  And  indeed  it 
was  this  passage  of  Paul  that  gave  me  the  occasion  for  ex- 
pounding this  Psalm  as  applying  to  the  injuries  and  complaints 
of  the  weak,  who  are  to  be  restrained  by  a  godly  exhorta- 
tion and  by  exciting  confidence  in  God.  It  is  to  the  same  end 
that  Paul  uses  and  applies  this  verse  of  the  Psalm,  as  is  mani- 
fest to  every  one. 

But  here  that  question  concerning  the  first  motions,  as  they 
term  them,  will  put  forth  its  head,  and  will  ask,  where  ends 
the  venial  sin,  and  where  begins  the  mortal  sin  ?  The  apostle 
indeed  gives  the  setting  of  the  sun  as  a  limit,  when  he  says, 
"Let  not  the  sun  go  down  upon  your  wrath."    But  this,  again, 


PSALM   IV.  171 

they  call  into  question,  whether  we  are  by  this  to  understand 
the  visible  sun,  which  we  see  setting  at  a  certain  hour,  or  the 
spiritual  sun,  Christ,  which  they  think  may,  as  to  the  human 
senses,  set  in  a  moment. 

For  my  part,  I  always  avoid  mystical  interpretations  of  the 
scriptures,  where  there  is  no  cogent  necessity  for  so  doing, 
and  advise  others  to  do  the  same,  because  they  are  very  peril- 
ous. I  cannot  suffer  myself  to  understand  by  Paul's  "sun"  any 
other  than  the  visible,  though  I  do  not  condemn  the  other 
opinion. 

Moreover,  I  know  that  there  is  no  temerity  more  perilous 
than  the  wishing  to  make  a  distinction  between  venial  and  mor- 
tal sin,  especially  in  the  hour  of  the  commotion  of  the  flesh  and 
of  temptation :  between  those  sins,  I  say,  which  are  com- 
mitted by  the  motions  of  the  raging  mind ;  for  either  lust,  or 
indignation,  or  some  other  motion,  is  wont  to  prevail  in  a 
man,  not  for  one  hour  only  but  sometimes  for  many  hours 
together,  and  in  such  a  manner  that  he  cannot  be  certain 
whether  he  consents  or  not.  Nay,  very  often,  God  so  ordaining 
it,  the  feeling  of  the  motion  of  the  good  and  pure  mind  is 
so  very  low  and  involuntary  and  so  hidden,  that  the  man  fears, 
nay,  almost  believes,  that  he  has  consented.  By  this  remedy 
the  divine  mercy  is  wont  to  keep  all  its  beloved  ones,  whom  he 
has  adorned  with  conspicuous  gifts  above  others  in  humility, 
lest,  being  puffed  up  with  them,  they  should  be  exalted  in 
pride  above  others,  and  perish. 

Therefore,  the  doctrine  and  rule  of  the  apostle  appears 
to  me  most  safe  and  most  wise,  that  every  man  should  at 
least  return  to  himself  at  night;  and,  if  he  have  conceived 
any  anger,  should  lay  it  aside  before  he  goes  to  sleep,  and  be 
reconciled  to  his  brother.  For  no  other  time  more  proper 
can  be  appointed  for  this  purpose,  than  the  setting  of  the  sun, 
and  the  end  of  the  day,  when  all  business  and  all  works  and 
labor,  etc.  are  finished,  and  when  the  mind  is  now  more  quiet 
and  in  a  proper  state  to  lay  aside  this  and  every  other  feeling  of 


ty2  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

malice,  whether  there  has  been  a  consenting  unto  it  or  not. 
For  who  can  understand  his  errors?  And  in  every  work  we 
are  to  fear  the  strict  judgment  of  God. 

Now  follows,  "Commune  with  your  ov/n  heart  upon  your 
bed,  and  be  still."  It  is  manifest  that  'upon  your  bed,'  'into 
your  bed,'  and  'in  your  bed,'  all  signify  the  same  thing;  for 
in  the  Hebrew  the  words  imply  motion  to  a  place;  the  same 
figure  of  speech  Christ  uses,  Matt.  6:6,  "But  thou,  when 
thou  prayest,  enter  into  thine  inner  chamber,  and  having  shut 
the  door,"  etc. 

Now  I  must  follow  a  most  unskilful  master,  as  we  are 
accustomed  to  say,  that  is,  my  own  self;  for  I  have  never  seen 
this  Hebrew  text  explained  to  my  liking  by  any  one,  and  as 
far  as  I  can  I  will  follow  my  own  spirit. 

It  is  the  custom  of  those  who  suffer  injury  to  burst  out, 
make  a  clamor,  and  fill  all  ears  with  complaints ;  which  is  the 
reason  the  apostle,  Eph.  4:31,  enumerates  "clamor"  among  the 
effects  of  anger,  saying,  "Let  all  bitterness,  and  wrath,  and 
anger,  and  clamor,  and  railing,  be  put  away  from  you,"  etc. 
Therefore  the  prophet,  with  a  design  to  prevent  the  sons  of 
men  from  thus  breaking  out,  as  he  had  permitted  them  to  be 
angry  in  the  first  motion  of  their  mind,  and  yet  not  so  as 
to  sin,  now  teaches  them,  that  they  should  make  no  tumult  at 
all,  but  commune  and  talk  with  their  own  hearts  upon  their 
beds.  Thereby  he  expressively  shows  them  what  they  should 
do  to  prevent  themselves  from  sinning  when  moved  with  anger, 
namely,  that  they  should  commune  with  themselves,  and  be 
silent ;  which  I  do  not  understand  otherwise  than  according 
to  that  of  the  prophet  Is.  30:15,  "In  quietness  and  in  confidence 
shall  be  your  strength."  For  the  silence  here  spoken  of  is 
not  that  which  is  kept  by  the  mouth,  but  that  patience  and  rest 
which  are  the  opposite  of  tumult ;  as  it  is  expressed  in  Ps.  37  -.y, 
"Rest  in  Jehovah  and  wait  patiently  for  him."  And  Ps.  65:1, 
"Praise  waiteth  for  thee,  O  God,  in  Zion."     Again,  Is.  41  :i, 


PSALM   IV.  173 

"Keep  silence  before  me,  O  islands :  and  let  the  people  renew 
■  their  strength." 

But  finally,  to  be  silent,  according  to  the  figurative  mode 
of  the  scriptural  expression,  is  of  the  same  signification  as  to 
lay  aside  one's  impetuosity,  to  mitigate  one's  fury,  to  bridle 
one's  mind;  which  we  Germans  in  our  vernacular  express  by 
saying  to  those  whom  we  would  restrain  when  angry,  'Still, 
still,  halt  in!'  Hence  tomb  is  in  the  Hebrew  expressed  by 
DUMA,  from  this  true  and  real  silence;  because,  there  a  man 
ceases  from  every  thing  and  remains  wholly  in  silence.  There- 
fore Isaiah  said,  30:12,  "Ye  trust  in  oppression  and  perverse- 
ness;"  for  the  mind  of  those  who  are  angry  and  offended,  is 
irritated  to  oppression  and  perverseness :  whereby  it  presumes 
that  it  shall  obtain  revenge  and  prevail.  But  restraining  this 
irritated  state  of  mind  he  saith,  "In  returning  and  rest  ye  shall 
be  saved ;"  for  you  will  overcome,  not  by  making  a  tumult,  but 
by  remaining  still.  Then  follows,  "and  in  quietness  and  con- 
fidence shall  be  your  strength ;"  that  is,  if  ye  keep  silent  and 
remain  still,  bridle  your  impetuosity,  abstain  from  tumult,  and 
not  seek  revenge,  but  wait  for  my  hand,  and  leave  all  revenge 
unto  me,  and  deliver  your  cause  into  my  hand,  behold  then 
ye  shall  be  strong  and  shall  overcome ;  for  I  will  fight  for  you, 
but  ye  shall  be  still. 

Thus  Moses  saith,  Ex.  14:14,  "Jehovah  will  fight  for  you, 
but  ye  shall  hold  your  peace."  What  mean  these  words,  "Ye 
shall  hold  your  peace?"  They  mean,  ye  shall  be  still,  ye  shall 
do  nothing  in  the  matter,  but  shall  act  just  as  if  it  did  not  at 
all  concern  you.  This  being  in  peace  and  still  therefore  is 
nothing  else  than  exercising  a  quiet  patience ;  which  is  a  figure 
of  speech  most  common  in  the  holy  scriptures. 

Hence  Isaiah,  in  the  above  passage,  when  they  would  not 
listen  to  the  admonition  and  exhortation  to  keep  silence,  adds, 
30:16,  "But  ye  said,  no,  for  we  will  flee  upon  horses,  and  we 
will  ride  upon  the  swift."  And  what  is  this,  but  declaring  to 
defend  themselves  by  tumult,  and  not  to  wait  to  become  strong 


174  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

and  be  saved  by  quietness  and  confidence.  Hence  follows  in 
the  same  passage,  verses  i6,  17,  "Therefore  shall  ye  flee:  and 
therefore  shall  they  that  pursue  you  be  swift.  One  thousand 
shall  flee  at  the  threat  of  one ;  at  the  threat  of  five  shall  ye  flee : 
till  ye  be  left  as  a  beacon  upon  the  top  of  a  mountain,  and  as 
an  ensign  on  a  hill."  From  these  words  I  think  it  is  quite  clear, 
what  it  is  to  be  silent  and  still,  and  w^hat  it  is  to  make  a  tumult. 
The  one  is  to  remain  in  patience  and  quietness :  the  other, 
to  be  moved  and  to  put  every  thing  else  in  commotion,  and, 
as  we  say,  to  confound  heaven  and  earth.  The  former  is  the 
silence  which  this  verse  teaches. 

The  meaning  of  the  passage  is  therefore,  "Commune  with 
your  own  heart  upon  your  bed ;"  that  is,  as  we  say,  ponder, 
deliberate,  be  not  precipitate,  nor  immediately  bring  forth  that 
which  your  anger  may  suggest.  First  consult  with  yourselves, 
"for  the  wrath  of  man  worketh  not  the  righteousness  of  God," 
James  i  :20.  As  a  heathen  writer  has  also  written,  'Let  nothing 
be  done  or  said  in  anger.'  Gregory  also  said,  Tt  is  better  to 
avoid  anger  by  silence,  than  to  overcome  it  by  reply.' 

Now  let  us  look  at  the  words  more  particularly.  First,  we 
have  "Commune,  or  speak,  with  your  own  heart;"  that  is,  let 
them  meditate  well  with  themselves  and  not  obey  the  motions 
of  their  anger,  which  is  precipitant,  and  which  always  has  its 
words  upon  the  tongue  and  not  in  the  heart ;  according  to 
Sirach,  21  :26,  "The  heart  of  fools  is  in  their  mouth :  but  the 
mouth  of  the  wise  is  in  their  heart."  A  beautiful  and  excellent 
antithesis !  And  the  same  admonition  is  given  In  the  present 
verse,  that  we  should  turn  our  mouth  to  our  heart,  and  not 
immediately  utter  forth  what  the  temptation  may  suggest.  For 
to  have  our  heart  in  our  mouth,  is  to  speak  imprudently ;  which 
persons  in  a  passion  generally  do.  But  to  have  our  mouth 
in  our  heart,  is  to  speak  prudently;  which  those  do  who  are 
still  and  quiet. 

Therefore  we  may  use  the  same  antithesis  here,  and  say, 
to  speak  in  our  hearts  and  to  think  in  our  mouths,  if  I  may 


PSALM  IV.  175 

SO  say,  are  opposites;  the  one  being  a  mark  of  wise  men;  the 
other,  of  fools. 

But  that  they  may  the  more  conveniently  commune  with, 
or  speak  to,  their  hearts,  he  adds  that  they  should  do  this  upon 
their  "beds ;"  that  is,  that  they  should  seek  solitude  and  avoid 
all  the  irritation  of  a  crowd.  For  when  the  body  and  all  ex- 
ternal tumults  are  reduced  to  quiet  the  mind  may  be  the  more 
easily  stilled,  so  as  to  be  in  a  state  to  commune  and  meditate 
with  itself.  But  as  avoiding  the  crowd  and  seeking  solitude  are 
useful  in  this  temptation,  so  are  tliey  perilous  in  many  other 
temptations.  These  things  have  I  spok(!n  according  to  my  own 
mind,  without  prejudice  against  any  other  expositor. 

Now,  how  shall  I  make  our  received  translation  to  accord 
with  the  Hebrew?  It  is  necessary  to  understand  some  other 
verb,  as  Augustine  teaches,  who  disposes  of  our  translation 
thus,  "Which  things,  or  the  things  which,  ye  say  in  your 
hearts."  Here  understand,  says  Augustine,  the  verb  'say;' 
thus,  "The  things  which  ye  say,  say  in  your  hearts."  This 
may  be  made  to  accord  with  my  rendering  thus :  seeing  that, 
when  angry,  ye  are  prompted  to  say  whatever  comes  first  upon 
your  tongue,  do  not  precipitately  utter  abroad  what  ye  wish  to 
say,  but  speak  it  in  your  hearts,  that  is,  speak  wisely  what 
ye  desire  to  speak.  For  according  to  this  figure  of  speech, 
Christ  said  to  Judas,  John  13:27,  "What  thou  doest,  do  quick- 
ly," that  is,  what  thou  desirest  to  do,  or  what  thou  hast  already 
proposed  to  do.  So  here  the  things  which  ye  say,  that  is,  what 
ye  wish  to  say,  say  in  your  hearts.  What,  from  your  impatience 
of  anger,  ye  wish  to  say  foolishly,  take  care  to  meditate  in 
your  hearts,  that  ye  may  speak  prudently. 

Lastly  how  shall  I  reconcile,  "And  be  filled  with  compunc- 
tion on  your  beds."  What  concord  can  there  be  between  'sil- 
ence' and  'compunction?'  In  my  opinioin  there  may  be  this 
concord ;  that,  by  returning  to  his  heart,  the  angry  man  feels 
a  compunction  and  is  dissatisfied  with  himself  that  he  has  been 
thus  moved  to  anger ;  and  therefore  by  the  silence    referred  to. 


176  LUTHER  ON   THE  PSALMS. 

he  comes  by  the  shortest  way  to  the  force  of  compunction. 
Hence  v/hile  he  communes  or  talks  with  his  heart,  especially 
when  on  his  bed,  or  sitting  alone,  he  sees  how  foolish  his 
comniotion  and  impatience  of  anger  were,  which  if  he  had 
follov.-ed  he  would  have  basely  fallen.  And  thus,  being  changed 
by  his  compunction,  he  refrains  from  the  tumult  to  which  he 
was  moved,  and  now  remains  still  and  in  silence,  the  flame  of 
revenge  being  not  a  little  extinguished.  Whoever  can  give  a 
better  exposition  of  the  passage,  let  him  communicate  it  without 
envy.    This  is  the  best  I  can  produce. 

I  have  already  sufficiently  shown  Vv^hat  "Selah"  at  the  end 
of  this  verse  signifies.  It  is  a  signal  gift  of  grace  for  that 
man,  who  has  been  provoked  to  anger  and  impatience  by  in- 
jury and  the  like  temptation,  to  exercise  the  feelings  here  re- 
quired, to  refrain  his  tongue,  and  to  withdraw  himself  aside 
into  secret,  and  remain  silent.  For  it  is  to  this  end  that  Paul, 
as  I  said,  handles  this  Psalm,  Eph.  4  -.2,2,  where  he  says  at  the 
end,  ver.  32,  "And  be  ye  kind  one  to  another,  tender-hearted, 
forgiving  each  other,  even  as  God  also  in  Christ  forgave  you." 

V.  5.  —  Offer  the  sacriiice  of  righteousness,  and  put  your 
trust  in  Jehovah    (hope  in  the  Lord). 

An  admirable  doctrine !  And  what  is  this  sacrifice  ?  Who 
can  ofifer  unto  God  righteousness,  when  we  ought  rather  to 
ask  of  God  for  all  our  sacrifices?  David  here  distinguishes, 
in  a  few  words,  the  sacrifice  of  righteousness  from  all  the 
sacrifices  of  cattle  and  of  all  other  things.  For  these  two 
sacrifices  are  directly  opposed  to  each  other.  The  sacrifice  of 
righteousness  makes  men  righteous :  the  sacrifice  of  things 
makes  them  sinners.  In  the  latter  we  seem  to  give  something 
unto  God,  and  to  work  a  righteousness :  in  the  former  we  only 
express  our  desire  to  receive  of  God,  and  to  confess  our  sins. 
Hence  it  comes  to  pass  that  the  sacrifice  of  things,  while  it 
puffs  us  up  with  self-righteousness  and  works,  renders  us  im- 
patient of  injuries,  making  us  appear  to  ourselves  to  be  persons 
of  much  and  great  merit ;  and  it  inflames  us  the  more  unto 


PSALM   IV.  177 

revenge,  because  we  then,  as  it  were,  stand  up  in  defense  of 
our  own  righteousness. 

The  sacrifice  of  righteousness  therefore  is  to  justify  and 
praise  God  and  to  confess  ourselves  sinners  and  worthy  of  all 
those  things  which  we  suffer,  and  causes  us  to  exclaim  with 
Ps.  119:137,  "Righteous  art  thou,  O  Jehovah,  and  upright  are 
thy  judgments."  As  is  described  also  by  a  most  beautiful  ex- 
ample in  the  third  chapter  of  Daniel  and  in  The  Song  of  the 
Three  Holy  Children,  i  :8-9,  which  is  the  continuation  of  the 
third  chapter  of  Daniel  in  the  Apocrypha  of  the  Old  Testament ; 
"Wherefore  all  that  thou  hast  brought  upon  us,  and  every  thing 
that  thou  hast  done  to  us,  thou  hast  done  in  true  judgment: 
and  thou  didst  deliver  us  into  the  hands  of  lawless  enemies." 
Again  immediately  following,  verses  16,  17,  "Nevertheless, 
in  a  contrite  heart  and  humble  spirit  let  us  be  accepted.  Like 
as  in  the  burnt-ofiferings  of  rams  and  bullocks,  and  like  as  in 
ten  thousands  of  fat  lambs :  so  let  our  sacrifice  be  in  thy  sight 
diis  day,  and  grant  that  we  may  wholly  go  after  thee:  for 
they  shall  not  be  confounded  that  put  their  trust  in  thee."  And 
Baruch  1:15  teacheth  the  Babylonian  captives  the  same  thing, 
"And  ye  shall  say,  to  the  Lord  our  God  belongeth  righteous- 
ness, but  unto  us  the  confusion  of  faces,  as  it  is  come  to  pass 
this  day  unto  them  of  Judah,  and  to  the  inhabitants  of  Jeru- 
salem." 

But  this  sacrifice  must  be  offered  out  of  a  true  heart  and 
mouth,  and  with  a  true  work  :  out  of  a  heart  truly  acknowledg- 
ing its  sin,  out  of  a  mouth  confessing  unfeignedly,  and  with 
a  work  that  willingly  beareth  the  punishments  which  are  in- 
flicted. For  there  are  many  who  say  with  their  mouths  that 
they  are  sinners,  but  do  not  feel  the  same  in  theii  hearts,  and 
evince  it  in  their  works.  Which  they  manifestly  show  by  their 
being  unwilling  to  be  called  and  accounted  sinners  by  others, 
and  to  suffer  injuries.  But  if  thou  art  a  sinner  why  dost  thou 
flee  from  the  punishments?  And  if  thou  dost  not  appear  to 
thyself  to  deserve  the  name  of  sinner,  why  dost  thou  call  thy- 


178  LUTHER  ON   THE  PSALMS. 

self  one?  The  glory  of  the  righteous  is  that  they  have  "honor 
and  peace"  laid  up  for  them;  but  the  things  that  are  laid  to 
sinners  are  "tribulation  and  anguish,"  Rom.  2:9-10. 

Those  therefore  who  ascribe  unto  God  righteousness,  and 
unto  themselves  sin,  with  a  true  heart,  these  are  they  who  sacri- 
fice those  two  sacrifices  of  righteousness  commended  in  the 
scriptures.  The  one  of  v/hich  may  be  called  the  morning 
sacrifice,  concerning  v/hich  Ps.  50:23  saith,  "Whoso  ofiereth 
the  sacrifice  of  thanksgiving  glorifieth  me;  and  to  him  that 
ordereth  his  way  aright  will  I  show  the  salvation  of  God." 
The  other  is  the  evening  sacrifice,  concerning  which  Ps.  51  :i7. 
saith,  "The  sacrifices  of  God  are  a  broken  spirit :  a  broken 
and  a  contrite  heart,  O  God,  thou  wilt  not  despise."  And 
perhaps  this  is  what  the  verse  before  us  signifies,  which  in  the 
Hebrew  has  'sacrifices'  in  the  plural  number,  "Sacrifice  the 
sacrifices  of  righteousness ;"  so  that  it  includes  both  sacrifices. 

In  every  temptation  and  under  every  injury  therefore  we 
are  not  to  arrogate  righteousness  to  ourselves  and  hold 
it  fast,  but  to  take  it  utterly  from  ourselves  and  ascribe  it  unto 
God;  and  they  v/ho  do  not  this,  are  immersed  in  self-excuses, 
accusations  of  their  adversaries,  self-justifications,  and  all  kinds 
of  judgings,  detractings,  strivings,  quarrelings,  contendings, 
brawlings,  and  those  other  works  of  the  flesh  which  the  apostle 
enumerates,  Gal.  5  :20.  And  it  comes  to  pass  that  by  mutual 
bitings,  such  are  consumed,  not  only  in  spirit,  all  love  being  lost, 
but  not  un frequently  in  body  also,  by  mutual  slaughters  and 
by  possessions  spent  in  litigations. 

But  you  will  say  perhaps  if  Christians  used  always  these 
sacrifices  of  righteousness,  what  would  become  of  ordinances 
and  laws?  But  we  are  taught  these  sacrifices  to  this  end,  that 
we  might  have  no  need  of  ordinances  and  laws.  Thus  the  King 
of  Babylon  acted  lawlessly  in  leading  the  children  of  Israel 
captive,  as  Three  Holy  Ciiildren  i  :9,  says,  "And  thou  didst 
deliver  us  into  the  hands  of  lawless  enemies,  most  hateful  for- 
sakers  of  God,  and  to  an  unjust  king,  and  the  most  wicked  in 


PSALM   IV.  179 

all  the  world."  And  yet  King  Zedekiah  and  those  who  were 
left  in  Jerusalem,  by  resisting  righteousness  and  expostulating 
with  God,  offended  him  much  more.  Whereas  those  who,  lay- 
ing aside  all  boasting  in  their  own  righteousness,  committed 
themselves  unto  God,  greatly  pleased  him.  So  that  the  latter 
were  preserved,  honored,  and  multiplied  in  Babylon  in  the 
midst  of  enemies ;  while  the  former  at  Jerusalem  in  the  midst 
of  friends  perished,  were  confounded,  and  decreased.  Because 
the  latter  of  the  captivity  sacrificed  the  sacrifices  of  righteous- 
ness without  cattle  or  any  such  things ;  but  the  former  offered 
the  sacrifices  of  cattle  and  of  created  things  without  righteous- 
ness, because  they  wished  to  be  righteous  in  themselves,  and 
did  not  acknowledge  their  sins ;  whereas,  those  of  the  captivity 
did  acknowledge  their  sins  and  ascribed  righteousness  unto 
God. 

From  this  we  understand,  all  that  chaos  and  dark  abyss  of 
forensic  causes  and  Roman  arts,  together  with  the  whole  mass 
of  books,  waxen  tables,  morals,  uses,  ordinances,  and  all  such 
judicial  righteousnesses,  are  matters  totally  foreign  to  a  Christ- 
ian man  and  have  nothing  to  do  with  that  holy  life  of  the 
church  which  is  in  sincerity ;  and  are  only  tolerated  for  the 
safety  of  the  weak,  that  they  may  not  do  worse  things  in  their 
desire  of  revenging  themselves,  and  may  not  be  overcome  by 
the  power  of  impatience.  But  at  the  present  day,  Rome  and 
the  episcopal  senate  devote  themselves  so  wholly  to  this  judicial 
righteousness,  that  they  not  only  imagine  that  righteousness 
rules  there,  but  for  the  sake  of  increasing  this  kind  of  right- 
eousness, they  even  procure  strife  by  strife ;  yea,  they  call  to 
themselves  the  quarrels  and  contentions  out  of  every  corner 
of  the  whole  world ;  so  that  there  never  was  a  senate-  house  of 
any  Emperor,  either  gentile  or  profane,  filled  with  such  a  con- 
fusion of  affairs  and  causes,  and  those  the  most  profane ;  and 
yet,  which  may  perhaps  excite  wonder,  the  whole  is  about  sacred 
and  divine  things  most  basely  bought,  redeemed,  sold,  re-sold, 
taken  by  force,  and  squandered. 


l80  lUTHER  ON   THE  PSALMS. 

Those  lawyers  call  the  Roman  senate,  at  this  day,  the  fount- 
ain of  justice  and  righteousness ;  whereas  it  ought  more  proper- 
ly to  be  called  a  deluge  of  iniquity,  for  it  is  from  there  that  the 
destruction  and  the  oblivion  of  those  sacrifices  of  righteous- 
ness and  of  the  knowledge  of  Christ  proceed,  which  have 
spread  themselves  with  such  force  and  violence  throughout  the 
whole  world.  In  a  word,  Rome  at  this  day  far  more  nearly 
resembles  the  kingdom  of  hell  than  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

But  perhaps  some  will  say,  be  it  so  that  we  give  up  all  right- 
eousness and  confess  that  we  are  sinners,  and  condemn  our- 
selves to  all  the  deserts  of  sinners :  what  then  ?  Are  we  to 
perish  and  die  in  our  sins  ?  Does  not  God  hate  sinners  ?  Into 
what  peril  dost  thou  draw  us  by  this  thy  doctrine?  David 
answers  you  thus  :  be  of  good  cheer :  only  hope  in  God.  For 
thus  the  companions  of  Daniel  did,  as  is  recorded  in  the  third 
chapter  of  Daniel  and  in  the  apocryphal  Song  of  the  Three  Holy 
Children  i  :6,  "For  we  have  sinned,  and  committed  iniquity." 
But  afterwards,  being  raised  to  hope,  they  say,  ver.  17,  "For 
they  shall  not  be  confounded  that  put  their  trust  in  thee."  Upon 
this  I  spoke  referring  to  Is.  30:15,  "In  quietness  and  con- 
fidence shall  be  )^our  strength."  That  is,  we  are  not  to  avenge 
ourselves  as  if  we  were  righteous,  but  are  to  suffer  in  silence 
without  tumult ;  confessing  our  sins,  committing  our  cause 
into  the  hand  of  God,  and  expecting  his  mercy  with  believing 
confidence.  For  he  that  shall  com.e  will  come,  and  will  execute 
judgment  in  favor  of  them  that  suffer  injury,  and  will  avenge 
the  poor;  and  thus,  God  will  make  his  strength  perfect  in  our 
weakness.  For  if  our  confidence  in  our  own  righteousness  be 
not  taken  away,  and  if  we  do  not  confess  ourselves  sinners  and 
worthy  of  any  and  every  evil,  salvation  and  hope  can  have 
no  place  in  us ;  for  God  will  have  respect  only  unto  the  humble. 

V.  6.  —  Many  there  are  that  say,  who  zvill  sJiozv  us  any 
good?  Jehovah,  lift  thou  up  the  light  of  thy  countenance  upon 
us. 

This  verse  among  us  is  divided :    the  first  part  of  it  being 


PSALM   IV.  l8l 

joined  to  the  former  verse,  and  the  last  part  to  the  following 
verse.  The  Hebrew,  according  to  the  translation  of  Jerome, 
is,  "There  be  many  that  say,  who  will  show  us  any  good? 
Lord,  lift  thou  up  the  light  of  thy  countenance  upon  us."  But 
I  think  the  verse  should  be  rendered  and  punctuated  thus, 
"Many  say,  who  will  show  unto  us  any  good  sign  upon  us? 
Lord,  the  light  of  thy  countenance." 

David  however  turns  his  words  unto  God  in  a  way  of 
complaint,  but  with  admirable  reverence  and  modesty,  lament- 
ing on  account  of  the  unbelieving,  and  those  that  will  not  be 
persuaded ;  such  as  were  the  stiff-necked  Jews  more  especially, 
because  they  could  not  believe  those  who  rightly  advised  them, 
unless,  as  Christ  says,  they  should  see  signs  and  wonders,  John 
4 :48.  Thus  the  apostle  saith,  i  Cor.  i  :22,  "That  Jews  ask  for 
signs,  and  Greeks  seek  after  wisdom."  Hence  it  comes  to  pass 
that  they  are  always  offended  at  the  Word  of  the  cross  and  the 
doctrine  of  faith.  And  this  is  what  David  here  says :  that 
when  he  had  advised  them  to  cast  away  all  their  own  righteous- 
ness, and  to  hope  in  God,  and  expect  all  good  from  him,  he 
offended  those  who  would  not  believe  him,  and  who  would  not 
be  prevailed  upon  to  hope,  unless  they  saw  some  good  sign  by 
which  they  may  be  assured  concerning  the  future  good  which 
they  were  commanded  to  hope  for.  They  say,  "Who  will  show 
us  any  good  sign  upon  us."  Who  will  assure  us  that  these 
good  things  will  come  unto  us?  By  what  sign  is  it  manifest 
that  we  shall  receive  those  things?  As  if  they  had  said,  all 
things  appear  quite  the  contrary ;  and  the  worst  signs  of  things 
seem  to  be  upon  us  on  all  sides.  Men  of  this  kind  are  every 
where  numerous,  who  tempt  the  Lord  with  this  unbelief,  like 
the  children  of  Israel  in  the  wilderness. 

And  from  this  same  source  you  may  trace  a  whole  sea  of 
superstitions  and  of  the  most  foolish  desires  even  among 
Christians,  if  the  wind  does  not  blow  just  to  please  them,  if 
their  crops  seem  to  be  in  danger,  even  if  their  leg  pains  them, 
or  if  they  are  visited,  or  fear  they  shall  be  visited,  with  any 


l82  LUTHER  ON   THE  PSALMS. 

temporal  inconvenience  or  loss.  For  in  all  these  cases,  how 
anxious  are  we  to  know,  by  means  of  some  good  sign,  that 
these  things  will  not  come  upon  us,  or  that  we  shall  be  delivered 
from  them  if  they  should  come.  We  run  here  and  there  to 
magicians,  to  diviners,  yea,  to  devils  also ;  and  the  devices  and 
ways  are  innumerable,  by  which  we  endeavor  to  avoid  this  one 
thing,  hoping  in  God,  or  at  least,  that  we  might  not  be  com- 
pelled to  hope  in  him  without  some  good  and  certain  sign. 

The  miser  hopes  in  God,  but  it  is  only  whilst  his  purse 
keeps  filling,  and  his  barn  continues  to  be  stored  with  corn; 
the  strong  man  hopes  in  him  also,  but  it  is  only  so  long  as  his 
strength  is  sound;  the  powerful  and  ambitious  man  hopes  in 
him,  but  it  is  only  so  long  as  the  authority  of  his  name  and 
his  power  prevail :  because,  by  these  good  signs  they  seem 
to  themselves  to  be  sure  that  they  have  God  propitious  unto 
them,  but  if  any  one  of  these  things  should  fail,  their  hope 
fails  with  it,  unless  some  other  or  greater  sign  shows  itself 
for  their  support. 

Thus  it  is  also  in  spiritual  things,  in  the  remission  of  sins, 
and  the  peace  of  conscience;  wherein,  not  a  few  prepare  to 
themselves  a  security,  not  by  faith,  nor  by  hope,  but  by  a 
confidence  in  their  own  works,  or  by  what  others  think  of 
them.  And  indeed,  in  every  temptation,  these  seek  for  them- 
selves a  good  sign  as  something  whereon  to  rest  their  hope; 
without  which,  they  will  not  hope  at  all,  and  therefore,  they 
do  not  hope  in  God,  because  they  do  not  hope  purely,  for,  "hope 
that  is  seen,  is  not  hope,"  Rom.  8  :24. 

The  Psalmist  might  have  spoken  of  all  these,  mentioning 
them  by  their  names ;  such  as  temptors  of  God,  unbelieving, 
sons  of  distrust,  infidels,  and  stiff-necked  rebels.  But,  not  men- 
tioning their  names,  he  sets  forth  their  7i'ork  only,  and  that  in 
tlie  most  simple  and  modest  words,  "There  are  many  that  say, 
who  will  show  us  any  good," leaving  the  judgment  of  their  work 
unto  God  and  to  those  with  whom  it  ought  to  be  left;  because, 


PSALM   IV.  183 

with  a  godly  affection  he  rather  pities  them  and  grieves  for 
their  state,  than  bitterly  accuses  them. 

Hence  David  condemns  the  error  of  such,  and  shows  that 
there  is  not  that  good  sign  upon  us  to  be  looked  for  which 
they  seek  after,  and  that  God  is  not  propitious  unto  those  on 
whom  he  abundantly  bestows  such  things.  Nay,  because  such 
things  are  the  worst  and  the  most  fallacious  signs,  he  brings 
forward  a  much  better  and  surer  sign,  namely  this,  "The  light 
of  thy  countenance,  O  Lord."  As  if  he  had  said,  to  know 
no  sign  but  to  rest  in  God  by  faith  and  hope  only  is  the  best 
sign.  'For  whosoever  trusteth  in  him  shall  not  be  confounded ;' 
as  it  is  said  in  Daniel  3.  Three  Holy  Children,  1:17.  They 
are  fully  satisfied  concerning  all  good  things,  who,  without  any 
sign  whatever,  firmly  believe  in  God ;  without  which  faith,  no 
works,  no  signs,  no  miracles,  can  make  a  man  certain. 

And  faith  is  most  rightly  called  'the  light  of  God's  counten- 
?nce,'  because  it  is  the  illumination  of  our  mind  inspired  from 
on  high,  and  a  certain  ray  of  the  divinity  conveyed  into  our 
heart,  by  which,  every  one  is  saved  and  directed,  who  is  saved. 
As  it  is  described  in  Ps.  32:8,  'T  will  instruct  thee  and  teach 
thee  in  the  way  which  thou  shalt  go :  I  will  guide  thee  with 
mine  eye."  And  Ps.  44 :3,  "For  they  gat  not  the  land  in  pos- 
session by  their  own  sword,  neither  did  their  own  arm  save 
them :  but  thy  right  hand,  and  thine  arm,  and  the  light  of  thy 
countenance."  Again,  Ps.  89  :i5,  "They  walk,  O  Jehovah,  in  the 
light  of  thy  countenance."  Hence  David  exults,  Ps.  27  :i, 
"Jehovah  is  my  light  and  my  salvation." 

This  was  prefigured  in  the  "pillar  of  fire"  and  in  the 
"cloud,"  by  which  the  children  of  Israel  were  ruled  and  led 
through  the  desert.  For,  just  in  the  same  way,  it  is  by  faith 
alone  that  we  are  led  through  ways  that  we  know  not  and  in 
paths  wherein  there  is  no  help  of  man  to  be  found,  that  is, 
through  sufferings  and  tribulations.  And  as,  in  the  former 
case,  the  pillar  of  fire  was  with  them  and  w^ent  before  their 
face ;  so  here,  faith  has  God  present.     So  that  the  illumination 


184  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

of  the  heart  proceeds,  as  it  were,  from  the  countenance  of  the 
present  God ;  and  hence  it  is  most  rightly  and  properly  called, 
the  light  of  the  countenance  of  God ;  that  is,  an  acknowledgment 
of,  and  confidence  in,  a  present  God.  For  he  that  does  not 
know,  and  does  not  feel,  that  God  is  present  with  him,  does 
not  yet  believe  and  has  not  yet  the  light  of  God's  countenance. 

It  matters  not  therefore  whether  the  light  of  the  counte- 
nance of  God  be  understood  actively,  as  that  by  which,  being 
present  with  us,  he  illuminates  us  by  lighting  up  faith  in  us ; 
or  passively,  as  signifying  the  light  of  the  faith  itself,  by  which 
we  believe  with  confidence  and  feel  his  countenance  and  pres- 
ence. For,  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  as  is  well  known,  face  or 
countenance,  signifies  presence.  And  therefore,  an  illuminat- 
ing God  and  an  illuminated  heart  are  one  and  the  same  thing; 
as  are  also,  God  seen  by  us  and  God  present. 

This  is  the  meaning  of  the  name  Israel,  by  which  Jacob 
was  called  when  he  had  seen  the  Lord  face  to  face.  For  by 
his  face  he  saw  the  face  of  God ;  that  is,  God  was  made  present 
with  him  by  faith,  being,  as  it  were,  brought  before  his  face ; 
and  he,  on  the  other  hand,  beheld  God  present  with  him,  and 
ready  to  help  him,  and,  as  it  were,  brought  before  his  face. 
And  hence,  Israel  is  said  to  be  "led"  of  God ;  that  is,  he  was 
one  that  was  ruled  of  God  alone,  or  led  by  him  in  a  right  way. 
And  this  is  done  by  means  of  faith ;  and  therefore,  Israel  is 
the  same  as  faithful,  or  believer,  except  that  Israel  sets  forth 
the  power  and  measure  of  faith  with  wonderful  propriety. 

Therefore,  "Blessed  is  the  man,  as  David  saith,  Ps.  94:12, 
whom  thou  chastenest,  O  Jehovah,  and  teachest  out  of  thy 
law."  For  by  Jer.  18:17,  he  threatens  the  Jews  'that  he  will 
show  them  the  back  and  not  the  face ;"  that  is,  that  he  will 
leave  them  in  unbelief  and  ignorance  of  God. 

We  see,  therefore,  what  a  good  sign  is  upon  us :  or,  we 
see  who  will  show  us  good,  namely,  faith.  Faith,  I  say,  be- 
cause it  is  the  light  which  shows  us  the  presence  and  the  coun- 
tenance itself  of  God;  that  is,  it  shows  us  all  good  even  God 


PSALM   IV.  185 

himself,  while  it  brings  him  before  our  face  and  works  in  us 
a  confidence  in  him.  Thus  no  man  can  of  himself  teach  another 
these  things. 

And  now  it  will  be  easy  to  make  the  other  interpretations 
harmonize  with  this. 

The  common  reading  is  very  near  to  this  sense,  —  "O  Lord, 
the  light  of  thy  countenance  is  sealed  upon  us."  The  charac- 
ters of  whom  we  first  spoke  seek  after  a  God  that  will  show 
them  some  good,  desiring  rather  to  see  those  things  visibly  be- 
fore them,  than  to  believe  that  they  shall  have  them.  But, 
the  believing  characters  of  whom  I  spoke  last,  do  not  desire 
that  this  sign  should  be  shown  them,  but  glory,  that  the  light 
of  the  countenance  of  God,  that  is,  the  knowledge  of,  and  con- 
fidence in,  a  present  God,  is  sealed  and  impressed  upon  them, 
as  we  may  plainly  understand  from  the  words  of  the  verse. 

And  with  respect  to  the  rendering  of  Jerome,  "There  are 
many  that  say,  who  will  show  us  any  good :  Jehovah,  lift 
thou  up  the  light  of  thy  countenance  upon  us :"  This  is  the 
same  sense,  only  given  in  the  form  of  a  petition.  For  God  does 
lift  up  the  light  of  his  countenance  upon  us,  when  he  lifts  us 
up  by  that  light.  For  faith  is  a  light  above  all  our  faculties 
and  powers.  And  hence,  this  lifting  up  is  nothing  else  than 
pouring  out  upon  us  that  light  of  faith  which  is  in  itself 
most  high,  whereby  we  are  lifted  up.  And  hence  also  it  may 
be  said  to  be  'fixed'  or  "sealed,"  because  it  is  enclosed  and 
incomprehensible  to  us,  and  yet  comprehending  us  and  leading 
us  captive  into  an  obedience  unto  it. 

Hence  it  is  certain,  that  this  verse  cannot  be  understood 
concerning  natural  reason  as  being  the  great  director ;  according 
to  the  opinion  of  many,  who  say,  'that  the  first  principles  of 
morals  spring  from  themselves ;'  for  all  such  things  are  specu- 
lative and  false.  Faith  is  the  first  principle  of  all  good  works, 
and  this  is  so  hidden  and  unknown,  that  all  reason  utterly 
shrinks  from  it.  Reason,  when  at  the  summit  of  its  power  and 
perfection,  can  only  say,  "Who  will  show  us  any  good?"    For 


l86  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

we  find  that  "many"  say  this,  that  is,  all  who  are  led  and 
guided  by  reason. 

V.  7.  —  Tliou  hast  put  gladness  in  my  heart.  More  than 
they  have  zvhen  their  grain  and  their  nczv  zvine  are  increased. 
(They  are  midtiplied  by  the  fruit  of  their  corn,  and  wine, 
and  oil) . 

The  former  part  of  this  verse  is,  with  us,  joined  to  the 
verse  preceding;  which,  with  the  one  that  follows  it,  makes, 
in  the  Hebrew,  one  verse ;  and  which  Jerome  has  rendered  thus, 
"Thou  hast  put  gladness  in  my  heart,  from  the  time  that  their 
corn,  and  wine,  and  oil  increased." 

According  to  my  judgment,  this  verse  draws  the  line  of 
distinction  between  the  believing  and  the  unbelieving;  that 
the  God  of  the  one  is  the  true  God,  but  the  God  of  the  other 
is  their  belly.  For  faith  in  God,  or  the  light  of  the  countenance 
of  God,  gladdens  the  heart,  and  diffuses  throughout  the  in- 
ward man  a  solid  and  true  joy,  while  it  produces  a  peace  on 
account  of  sins  forgiven,  and  gives  the  man  a  sure  confidence  in 
God  even  in  the  midst  of  sufferings ;  for  there  can  be  no  joy, 
no  peace,  except  in  a  pure  conscience.  Hence  Paul,  Gal.  5  •.22, 
enumerates  "joy"  among  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit.  And  David 
says  above,  ver.  i,  "Thou  hast  enlarged  me  when  I  was  in  dis- 
tress." And  hence  it  comes  to  pass,  that  as  the  sufferings  of 
Christ  abound  in  us,  so  does  the  consolation  of  Christ  abound 
in  us  also,  through  that  faith  whereby  we  rest  in  him ;  as  Paul 
saith,  2  Cor.  i  -,3,  "Blessed  be  the  God  and  father  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  the  Father  of  mercies,  and  God  of  all  comfort ; 
who  comforteth  us  in  all  our  affliction."  For  who  can  but 
rejoice,  and  even  exult  over  all  the  evils  of  the  world  and  of 
hell  itself,  saying,  with  Paul,  Rom.  8:31,  "If  God  is  for  us, 
who  is  against  us?"  if  he  believe  that  God  is  with  him  and 
for  him?  But,  when  will  he  ever  believe  firmly  that  God  is 
for  him,  vmless,  from  being  proved  by  various  temptations,  and 
having  had  his  faith  exercised,  he  has  thereby  learned  that 
God  is  for  him? 


PSALM   IV.  187 

It  cannot  be  therefore  but  that  the  man  must  rejoice  with 
his  whole  heart,  who  has  the  light  of  the  countenance  of  God. 
For  such  an  one,  because  he  is  righteous ;  and  because  he  re- 
joices, he  fears  no  one  and  exultingly  triumphs  over  all  things, 
even  over  death  and  hell,  being  certain  that  he  has  the  approv- 
ing presence  of  his  God.  And  hence,  after  "O  Lord,  the  light 
of  thy  countenance,"  follows,  "Thou  hast  put  gladness  in  my 
heart,"  As  we  have  it  also  in  Ps.  68:3,  "But  let  the  righteous 
be  glad;  let  them  exult  before  God :  yea,  let  them  rejoice  with 
gladness." 

But  what  shall  we  say,  on  the  contrary,  concerning  the  un- 
believing? Have  they  ever  any  joy  and  gladness  of  heart? 
No!  For  there  is  no  peace  to  the  wicked,  nor  any  joy  to  the 
ungodly,  as  Is.  saith,  48  :22.  Because  Paul  saith,  2  Cor.  i  17, 
"As  ye  are  partakers  of  the  sufferings,  so  also  are  ye  of  the  com- 
fort." But  these  never  have  been  partakers  of  the  sufferings, 
and  therefore,  shall  not  be  partakers  of  the  consolation.  And 
it  is  said  also,  Prov.  14:10,  "The  heart  knoweth  its  own  bitter- 
ness and  a  stranger  doth  not  intermeddle  with  its  joy."  But 
what  joy  have  these?  Why,  they  have  that  which  they  sought 
after.  "So  I  let  them  go  after  the  stubbornness  of  their  heart," 
saith  the  Lord,  Ps.  81  :i2.  And  in  Ps.  78,  we  read  that  God 
satisfied  their  desires  when  they  tempted  him  by  asking  food 
for  their  lusts,  and  He  rained  down  flesh  upon  them  as  dust ; 
where  follow,  verses  30,  31,  "Their  food  was  yet  in  their 
mouths,  when  the  anger  of  God  went  up  against  them ;"  which 
the  apostle  also  repeats,  Eph.  5  :6,  calling  such  'the  sons  of 
disobedience,  upon  whom  the  wrath  of  God  cometh.' 

God  giveth  unto  these,  instead  of  rejoicing  of  heart,  the 
vile  gratifications  of  the  belly;  because  they  only  ask,  "Who 
will  show  us  any  good."  Savoring  of  nothing  but  present  and 
sensual  things,  and  not  having  the  light  of  the  countenance  of 
God.  And  therefore  David  here  saith,  'that  their  corn,  and 
wine,  and  oil  are  increased,'  as  they  wished;  thus  describing 
their  misery  in  mild  words  and  leaving  us  to  judge   how  great 


l88  LUTHER  OISI    THE  PSALMS. 

that  misery  must  be,  by  contrasting  it  with  the  joy  which  he 
felt  and  with  his  enjoyments  which  were  all  directly  contrary. 
For  what  good  has  that  man  who  has  not  God  ?  What  joy 
can  he  have  whose  heart  does  not  rejoice  in  God?  What  de- 
light can  he  know  whose  conscience  is  ever  in  a  state  of  alarm  ? 
for  such  an  one  always  feels  that  God  is  against  him. 

These  words  of  David  therefore  display  in  him  a  most  re- 
markable humble  mind  and  yet  contain  a  most  powerful  com- 
parison. The  righteous  have  a  rejoicing  of  heart  in  God.  But 
what  have  the  unbelievers?  An  abundance,  says  he,  of  tem- 
poral things  and  nothing  more.  O  miserable  pittance!  O 
worthless  inheritance,  the  just  desert  of  unbelief!  For  what 
else  is  fit  for  swine  but  deceiving  and  empty  husks,  the  refuse 
and  outside  coverings  of  what  is  really  good !  Thus,  they  have 
the  good  which  they  wished  to  have  shown  unto  them.  They 
have  that  good,  for  the  sake  of  which  they  are  willing  to  be 
without  the  light  of  the  countenance  of  God.  They  have  those 
rewards  given  unto  them  which  were  given  unto  the  sons  of 
the  concubines  of  Abraham,  but  they  are  separated  from  the 
liaie  heir,  Isaac,  to  whom  the  whole  inheritance  is  given.  And 
as  the  two  are  separated  and  distinct  in  desert,  so  are  they  in 
fruit  and  reward.  The  unbelieving  wanted  visible  good  things, 
and  they  have  them :  the  believing  desired  invisible  good 
things,  and  they  have  them  in  the  joy  of  their  heart.  And  thus, 
as  he  had  shown  in  the  preceding  verse  what  the  workmen 
were,  so  now,  in  the  present  verse,  he  shows  what  fruits  fol- 
lowed their  works ;  how  different  they  are  from,  yea,  how  con- 
trary to  each  other. 

You  may  see  here,  therefore,  in  what  sovereign  contempt  he 
held  all  the  pomp  and  all  the  possessions  of  this  world,  from 
the  comparison  which  he  draws  between  them  and  the  good 
things  which  he  enjoyed;  and  from  his  showing  that  such  are 
the  things  which  are  given  to  unbelievers. 

Now  it  is  easy  to  harmonize  the  different  translations.  For 
there  is  no  difference  whether  one  says  as  the  Vulgate,  they  are 


PSALM   IV.  189 

multiplied  by  their  gram  and  wine,  that  is,  they  are  become 
rich,  great  and  strong,  expanded  by  their  temporal  and  earthly 
possessions,  or  as  Jerome,  your  grain  and  wine  are  increased, 
as  every  grammarian  knows.  For  it  is  a  short  description  of 
their  prosperity  as  Job,  in  the  21  chapter  and  the  144  Ps.  verse 
II,  etc.  set  forth  more  in  details. 

But  that  the  Prophet  does  not  speak  here  of  the  holy  sacra- 
ment of  the  Lord's  Supper,  Augustine  proves  in  that  it  is  espec- 
ially mentioned,  your  grain,  your  wine,  not  without  specifying 
more  definitely  grain  and  wine,  since  it  is  evident  that  he  by 
this  pronoun  your,  speaks  of  many  who  say,  "Who  can  show 
us,  what  is  good?"  For  it  has  reference  to  the  godless  and 
the  unbelievers,  who  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per, since  they  are  swine  and  dogs,  which  can  never  be  satis- 
fied, as  Is.  56:11  says.  Therefore  is  would  be  wrong  if  he 
broke  the  chain  of  thought  and  introduced  foreign  matter  under 
a  similar  name  when  he  had  not  previously  mentioned  it. 

Therefore  it  occurs  that  in  Hebrew  and  in  Augustine  it  is, 
from  the  time  a  tempore,  while  in  the  Vulgate  we  have  of  the 
fruit,  a  fnictu,  since  a  fructu  has  frequently  given  occasion 
among  us  to  understand  it  referring  to  the  Lord's  .Supper,  the 
text  in  Hebrew  gives  just  as  much  occasion  that  it  speaks  of 
their  grain,  which  they  have  "from  time,"  that  is,  that  he  speaks 
of  temporal  things.  "From  time"  he  says,  we  have  what  we 
have,  that  which  time  provides  to  give  according  to  temporal 
necessities  and  luxuries.  This  seems  to  say  to  me  that  from 
the  eternal  presence  of  God  they  have  nothing,  but  that  they 
have  their  possessions  from  time. 

According  to  our  sense,  a  fructu  can  be  so  understood  that 
they  were  so  enriched  by  the  variety  and  superabundance  of 
their  grain  and  wine,  as  if  he  would  say,  may  their  temporalities 
prosper  and  bear  fruit.  This  again  is  in  the  way  of  understand- 
ing it  in  a  becoming  manner  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  since  the 
believers  in  Christ  are  not  multiplied  by  the  fruit  of  the  Lord's 
Supper,  but  they  themselves  are  the  manifold  fruits  and  re- 


IQO  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

suits  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  so  that  according  to  this  meaning 
much  more  should  be  said :  by  their  grain  and  wine  the  fruits 
are  multiplied. 

But  this  is  also  the  sign  of  an  oblique  accusation,  since  it 
stands  your  grain,  your  wine,  namely  in  that  the  prophet  sharp- 
ly attacks  the  evil  of  the  cupidity  of  the  unbelievers,  as  if  he 
would  say :  that  is  their  characteristic  nature,  for  they  seek 
these  things,  they  love  them,  only  these  possesions  do  they  know 
how  to  enjoy. 

It  is  only  of  minor  importance  that  in  the  Hebrew  "their  oil" 
is  not  mentioned  after  "their  wine"  as  in  the  Vulgate,  for  it  is 
of  no  significance  whether  it  is  added  or  not.  It  is  certain 
that  by  this  figure  of  speech  in  the  scriptures  a  superabundance 
of  temporalities  is  meant,  as  Gen.  27  :37,  "With  grain  and  wine 
and  oil  (Vulgate)  have  I  sustained  him,"  and  then  follows : 
"What  then  shall  I  do  for  thee  my  son."  Yet  I  suspect  that  was 
through  the  permission  of  the  Spirit  introduced  by  the  fluent 
translator,  so  that  those  who  would  read,  might  be  reminded 
that  nothing  but  temporal  gifts  should  be  understood,  since  oil 
does  not  permit  the  least  reference  to  the  Lord's  Supper. 

By  this  however  I  will  not  detract  from  the  interpretation 
of  those,  who  understand  it  to  refer  to  the  sacrament.  Each 
may  advocate  his  own  meaning  if  only  faith  and  peace  remain 
undisturbed.  It  is  not  our  task  to  confute  the  labors  of  others, 
but  as  far  as  possible  to  come  to  the  right  understanding.  The 
good  is  not  cast  away,  when  we  praise  the  better  or  the  very 
good  more  than  the  good. 

V.  8,  9.  In  peace  will  I  both  lay  me  dozvn  and  sleep;  for 
thou,  Jehovah,  alone  makest  me  divell  in  safety.    Rev.  ver. 

V.  8,  9.  —  /  zvill  together  lay  me  dozvn  in  peace  to  sleep,  and 
take  my  rest.  For  thou,  O  Lord,  hast  singularly  established 
me  in  liope. 

These  two  verses  are,  in  the  Hebrew,  only  one :  and  Jer- 
ome has  translated  them,  "In  peace  together  will  I  lay  me  down 


PSALM   IV.  191 

to  rest,  and  sleep ;  because  thou,  O  Lord,  hast  made  me  in  an 
especial  manner  to  dwell  in  safety." 

The  two  expressions,  "I  will  lay  me  down  to  sleep"  and  'T 
will  rest,"  have  been  abundantly  discoursed  on  in  the  preceding 
Psalm,  verse  6,  where  we  have  shown,  that  by  them  is  signified 
natural  death  and  burial.  Though  I  know  that  Augustine  in- 
terprets them,  figuratively,  in  a  different  way,  as  signifying  the 
oblivion  of  temporal  things ;  yet  he  himself  confesses  that  such 
an  oblivion  cannot  be  attained  unto  in  this  life. 

The  words  'in  id  ipsum'  in  the  Vulgate  have  the  same  signi- 
fication as  the  verb  simul,  'together,'  'with  Jerome  and  they 
imply  concord  and  unity;  as  in  Ps.  133:1,  "Behold  how  good, 
and  how  pleasant  it  is,  for  brethren  to  dwell  in  unity,  in  unum," 
that  is,  'together  in  unity.' 

The  sense  therefore,  is,  being,  O  Lord,  satisfied  and  assured, 
from  the  light  of  thy  countenance,  that  thou  art  with  me  and 
for  me,  I  am  full  of  joy.  I  shall  therefore  die  in  peace  and 
willingly  leave  this  life ;  because  as  in  Ps.  23  4,  "Though  I 
walk  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  I  will  fear 
no  evil ;  for  thou  art  with  me." 

Hence  according  to  my  judgment  'laying  one's  self  down 
to  rest  together,'  and  'sleeping  together,'  are  of  the  same  signi- 
fication as  we  now  use  those  terms ;  and  they  convey  that  mean- 
ing, that  would  be  conveyed  by  the  Latin  words  condormire 
and  correquiesccre;  and  1  think,  that  by  those  expressions  David 
declares  his  persuasion  that  he  should  sleep  with  his  fathers. 
For  the  same  expressions  are  frequently  made  use  of  in  the 
books  of  Kings,  "David  slept  with  his  fathers,"  i  Kings  2  :io. 
Again,  in  the  Books  of  Moses,  "I  am  to  be  gathered  unto  my 
people,"  Gen.  49  :29,  And  again  Moses,  "Thou  also  shalt  be 
gathered  unto  thy  people,"  Num.  27:13.  Aaron  shall  be  gath- 
ered unto  his  people,"  Num.  20  •.24.  And  many  more  like  pas- 
sages. 

Faith  therefore  after  it  has  been  exercised  by  various  suf- 
ferings and  temptations,  moves  us  to  look  upon  death  as  a  sleep 


192  L.UTHER  ON   THE  PSALMS. 

ill  peace;  which  to  the  unbeHeving  is  a  terrible  and  intolerable 
vexation.  For  what  else  do  you  imagine  David  intends  by  this 
his  great  glorying  in  death,  and  commendation  of  it,  than  that 
he  may  not  only  give  an  example  in  himself  of  the  way  in 
which  we  may  come  to  a  sweet  and  quiet  death,  but  that  he  may 
leave  it  also  to  every  one  to  judge  how  terrible  the  death  of  the 
unbelieving  must  be,  and  how  full  of  unrest,  dread  and  horror, 
in  whose  death  there  is  no  lying  down  to  rest  and  sleeping,  but 
according  to  the  Psalmist,  "Evil  shall  hunt  the  violent  man  to 
overthrow  him."  Ps.  140:11.  Again,  'The  death  of  the  wicked 
is  terrible.'  And  again,  "Bloody  and  deceitful  men  shall  not 
live  out  half  their  days,"  Ps.  55  123.  "When  they  shall  say, 
peace  and  safety,  then  sudden  destruction  cometh  upon  them," 
1  Thess.  5  13.  Therefore  he  terrifies  them  in  the  most  mild 
and  quiet  way  by  showing  them  their  awful  death,  while  he 
commends  his  own  death,  which  would  be  most  happy ;  because 
he  rather  chooses  to  move  them  in  a  sweet  way  by  his  own  ex- 
ample than  to  urge  them  to  the  life  of  the  cross  and  of  faith ; 
to  effect  which,  he  sets  before  their  eyes  that  glorious  death 
which  is  the  fruit  of  such  a  life. 

For  thou,  O  Lord,  hast  singularly  established  mc  in  hope. 

This  is  taken  from  Deut.  33  -.28,  and  is  frequently  repeated 
throughout  the  scriptures.  Let  us  therefore  come  to  the  foun- 
tain-head of  it.  Moses  saith,  Deut.  33  :i2,  "The  beloved  of  the 
Lord  shall  dwell  in  safety."  And  in  verse  28,  "Israel  shall 
dwell  in  safety  and  alone."  And  Jer.  32 :37,  "I  will  cause  them 
to  dwell  safely."  It  is  consequently  plain  that  Moses  said 
safely  and  alone,  "eoniid enter  et  solus"  where  David  uses  here 
singularly  in  hope,  "singulariter  in  spe,"  in  that  the  same  words 
are  used  in  both  places  and  in  the  same  sense.  Since  therefore 
the  translator  of  the  Vulgate  added  the  conjunction  "and"  in 
Deut.  33  :28,  which  is  not  in  the  text,  so  it  ought  to  have  been 
inserted  in  this  verse  also,  "singularly  and  in  hope."  For  it 
occurs  frequently  in  the  Bible  that  the  conjunction  is  omitted, 
which  must  be  supplied  by  the  translator,  as  Josh.  10:13,  sun, 


PSALM   IV,  193 

moon  stood  still"  instead  of  sun  and  moon.  So  also  here : 
safely  and  singularly,  or  safely  and  alone,  that  is  in  a  special 
and  secure  state,  as  if  David  wished  to  say :  Verily  that  thou 
hast  fulfilled  in  me,  since  thou  hast  caused  me  to  dwell  singu- 
larly and  safely,  which  thou  didst  promise  in  Moses,  where  thou 
saidst,  "Israel  shall  dwell  in  safety  and  alone." 

David,  therefore,  concludes  his  psalm  with  this  general  and 
authentic  truth  of  Moses :  and  thereby  excellently  shows,  in 
oppsition  to  the  carnal  opinion  of  the  Jews,  what  Moses  really 
meant  by  those  words,  and  also  applies  them  to  his  own  pur- 
pose. For  as  Moses  said,  Israel  should  dwell  in  safety  and 
alone;  and  as  Israel  is  most  beautifully  set  forth  in  this  Psalm, 
for  he  is  represented  as  seeing,  like  Jacob,  God  face  to  face, 
and  as  having  the  light  of  his  countenance,  that  is,  believing 
in  God ;  therefore,  David  rightly  saith  that  the  promise  and 
all  the  full  salvation  given  to  Israel  belong  to  him,  and  that  he 
is  made  to  "dwell  in  safety  and  alone."  Jacob  also  declares  that 
he  had  the  same  confidence  when  he  says,  "My  life  is  preserv- 
ed" or  saved,  Gen.  32  :t,o.  What  else  was  this,  but  his  dwel- 
ling in  safety  in  a  singular  manner,  being  satisfied  concerning 
the  salvation  of  his  soul  ?  For  his  soul  was  safe,  but  only  in 
hope  and  confidence.  Tliis  security  and  all-certain  hope  of  sal- 
vation, therefore,  is  that  very  spiritual  safety,  and  spiritual 
dwelling  alone ;  that  is,  a  dwelling  in  God  himself,  which  is 
the  salvation  of  the  soul. 

The  prophet  therefore  fears  not  death,  but  says  with  con- 
fidence that  he  shall  sleep  in  peace  with  his  fathers ;  because 
he  is  satisfied  and  fully  assured  of  his  salvation.  Here  we  trace 
David's  reading  and  meditation  in  the  writings  of  Moses,  in 
which  he  exercised  himself,  and  from  which  he  drew  this  spir- 
itual understanding,  having  been  taught  it,  and  established  in 
it,  by  various  temptations. 

But  what  is  this  'dwelling  alone,"  or  'being  established 
singularly?'  for  to  dwell  in  hope,  or  confidently,  seems  to  be 
plainly  understood.     According  to  my  bold  way  of  thinking, 


194  LUTHER  ON   THE  PSALMS. 

it  seems  to  be  the  same  as  dwelling  at  liberty  and  in  security ; 
so  that  solitude  is  a  state  of  liberty,  according  to  Ps.  88  4-5,  "I 
am  as  a  man  that  hath  no  help,  cast  off  among  the  dead,  like 
the  slain  that  lie  in  the  grave ;"  that  is,  alone  and  secure.  More 
to  the  point  is  Judges  18 :/.  'The  five  men  saw  the  people  that 
were  therein,  how  they  dwelt  in  security,  no  one  putting  them  to 
shame,  being  of  great  wealth  and  far  from  the  Sidonians,  and 
having  no  dealings  with  any  man.'  Here  it  is  manifest  that 
their  solitude  was  their  security,  for  they  had  shunned  and 
separated  themselves  from  all  men  to  the  end  that  they  might 
live  in  security.  In  this  state  they  could  not  have  lived,  if  they 
had  mingled  among  men.  So  now  they  who  wish  to  live  se- 
curely and  quietly,  seek  a  sequestered  and  solitary  place ;  from 
which  desire  it  is  that  monks,  that  is,  solitary  ones,  have  their 
rise ;  who  in  order  to  dwell  in  security  and  to  avoid  those  dan- 
gers of  the  world  that  are  among  men,  seek  places  of  solitude. 

Therefore  'singularly'  and  'securely'  mean  the  same  thing; 
except  hat  'singularly'  expresses  the  peculiar  nature  of  security, 
that  is,  a  being  removed  to  a  solitary  place  out  of  the  way  of 
danger.  But  if  all  these  things  be  not  done  in  the  spirit,  they 
will  only  make  men  monks  and  hypocrites,  who  only  avoid 
external  dangers. 

David  however  is  here  speaking  of  spiritual  security,  which 
is  so  great  that  a  man  may  be  safe  in  the  midst  of  the  perils  of 
the  world,  of  death,  and  of  hell,  and  yet  be  filled  with  no  more 
fear  than  if  he  were  dwelling  alone ;  and  indeed  such  an  one  is 
roore  alone  in  the  greater  number  of  perils  and  evils  in  which 
he  is  involved.  This  is  the  powerful  grace  of  faith,  and  the 
effect  of  a  good  conscience  toward  God. 

Now  see  whether  Jerome  did  not  truly  feel  this  security  in 
the  verse  before  us,  when  he  translates  it,  "Because  thou,  O 
Lord,  hast  made  me  in  an  especial  manner  to  dwell  in  safety." 

But  to  sum  up  the  whole,  'to  dwell  singularly  in  hope,"  is 
for  a  man  to  be  satisfied  and  confidently  secure  concerning  his 
salvation  in  and  by  the  mercy  of  God.     In  the  enjoyment  of 


PSALM   IV.  195 

which  experience,  he  may  wait  for  death  as  that  which  will  be 
to  him  a  most  grateful  sleep.  These  things,  I  say,  faith  pro- 
duces, exercised  and  tried  by  sufferings,  these  are  the  "peace- 
able fruits,"  as  Paul  saith  to  the  Hebrews,  which  it  yields. 

Wherefore  those  doctors  of  theology,  as  they  are  called,  are 
to  be  utterly  detested  and  condemned,  who  teach  us  to  remain 
in  doubt  and  uncertainty  as  to  whether  we  are  in  the  grace  and 
favor  of  God  or  not ;  and  also,  whether  God  be  our  God,  and 
we  his  people.  To  establish  this  their  doctrine,  they  invent 
their  distinctions  and  force  them  upon  us;  saying  that  the 
sacraments  and  ordinances  do  work  in  us  a  certain  effect  of 
grace,  as  to  the  authority  and  power  of  God ;  but  that,  with 
respect  to  the  person  receiving,  they  work  doubt ;  and  they  say 
that  this  doubting  is  a  godly  feeling.  O  pestilent  fellows !  For 
if  this  be  true,  and  if  every  Christian  ought  to  doubt  in  this 
godly  manner,  as  they  call  it,  then  that  article  of  the  Creed,, 
T  believe  in  the  Holy  Church,  and  in  the  communion  of  saints,' 
falls  to  the  ground ;  because,  according  to  them,  I  ought  not 
to  assert  that  1  am  a  saint,  nor  art  thou  to  make  sucli  an  as- 
sertion, nor  any  other  Christian ;  and  therefore  we  are  all  to 
remain  in  doubt  whether  we  have  a  God  for  us  or  not,  and 
whether  or  not  the  whole  Church  will  perish. 

But  away  with  all  such  most  absurd  and  most  impious 
heresies !  Let  every  one  take  heed  that  he  be  not  by  any  means 
in  doubt  whether  or  not  God  be  for  him,  that  is,  whether  or 
not  he  has  God  for  his  Father,  his  Saviour,  and  the  giver  of  all 
good  things,  that  he  may  dwell  securely  alone  and  in  hope,  and 
that  he  may  not  be  in  a  continual  state  of  fluctuating  uncer- 
tainty "like  the  troubled  sea ;"  which  Isaiah  saith  is  the  state 
of  the  wicked,  57 :20.  For  if  thou  believest  concerning  the 
saints,  that  they  are  safely  secure  and  confident,  why  shouldest 
thou  not  believe  the  same  concerning  thyself,  if  thou  desirest  to 
be  like  them,  and  if  thou  hast  received  the  same  baptism,  the 
same  faith,  the  same  Christ,  and  the  same  all  things? 

Nay,  thou  pestilent  teacher,  thou  most  impiously  believest 


196  "LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

one  thing  concerning  the  saints,  and  another  thing  concerning 
thyself,  if  thou  impiously  teachest  them  to  doubt  as  thou  thyself 
doubtest.  For  thou  art  either  wicked  in  teaching  that  doubt- 
ing is  a  godly  feeling,  or  else  thou  art  wicked  in  believing  that 
to  be  sure  and  certain  which  thou  commandest  us  to  doubt,  for 
faith  cannot  rest  upon  that  which  is  knowai  to  be  uncertain. 
Indeed,  I  never  could  have  believed,  that  these  impious  fables 
and  these  most  pestilent  opinions  had  ever  crept  into  the  Church 
of  Christ,  even  secretly,  had  I  not  both  read  and  heard  those, 
who  were  considered  to  be  great  theologians  ,  assert  these 
things  as  being  most  sure  articles  of  faith,  and  establish  and  de- 
fend them,  and  consider  the  contrary  catholic  doctrine  to  be 
heretical.  So  great  are  the  darkness  and  blindness  of  the 
heads  of  the  church,  and  so  great  is  the  wrath  of  God  upon 
us !     But  more  of  this  elsewhere,  and  addressed  to  others. 


P  S  A  L  M    V. 
TO  victory:  for  the  inheritances:  a  psalm  of  david. 

What  is  meant  by  'to  victory'  has  been  set  forth  in  the  pre- 
ceding Psahn,  once  for  all. 

Concerning  these  "inheritances,"  I  read  a  great  deal,  but  I 
read  nothing  that  satisfies  my  dull  comprehension.  As  to  what 
Lyra  and  his  followers  understand  here,  I  can  neither  under- 
stand nor  receive.     I  will  say  what  I  think  upon  the  subject. 

It  is  certain  that  this  Psalm  does  not  treat  of  sufferings  and 
tribulations,  for  the  person  that  harps  does  not  say  one  word 
about  them.  The  whole  Psalm  is  a  complaint  concerning  the 
ungodly,  the  unjust,  and  the  wicked.  The  scope  of  the  Psalm 
therefore,  according  to  my  judgment  is  this;  —  the  prophet  is 
praying  against  hypocrites,  deceitful  workers,  and  false  pro- 
phets, who  seduce  and  deceive  the  people  of  God  and  the  heri- 
tage of  Christ,  by  their  human  traditions,  whom  Christ  calls, 
Matt.  7:15,  John  10:12,  "ravening  wolves,"  and  the  apostle 
Titus  I  :io,  "vain  talkers  and  deceivers." 

And  that  we  may  come  to  our  own  times,  as  in  the  preced- 
ing Psalm  David  inveighed  against  a  mere  profession  and 
abuse  of  justice;  so  in  this  Psalm  he  attacks  the  godless  teach- 
ing and  the  misuse  of  theology.  Because  that  is  the  most 
destructive  of  all  persecutions  which  rages  under  the  cover  of 
truth  and  godliness,  for  such  always  professes  the  name  of 
God;  and  because  it  is  that  which  most  of  all  destroys  the 
heritages  of  God ;  therefore  it  is,  that  the  Psalmist  is  under 
such  powerful  emotions,  prays  with  so  many  different  petitions, 
accuses  the  ungodly  with  so  many  names,  and  so  burns  with 
zeal,  that  he  can  say  of  himself  what  he  said  in  Psalm  69:9, 
"The  zeal  of  thine  house  hath  eaten  me  up." 


198  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

Neither  Christ  himself,  nor  Peter,  nor  Paul,  burned  with 
zeal,  nor  showed  their  indignation  against  any  thing  so  much 
as  against  these  heady  soul-deceivers  and  these  reward-seekers, 
against  whom  all  the  prophets  set  themselves.  We  shall  there- 
fore find  that  this  Psalm  is  directed  against  all  false  prophets, 
hypocrites,  heretics,  superstitious  persons,  and  the  whole  gene- 
ration of  those  who  devour  the  people  of  God  by  an  adultera- 
tion of  his  Word  and  by  a  false  show  of  works. 

Rightly  therefore  is  the  title  'for  the  inheritances,'  or,  'to 
the  inheritances,'  given  to  this  Psalm;  because  its  design  is  to 
preserve  the  people  of  God  in  safety  for  their  rightful  Lord. 
For  the  people  of  God  are  the  Lord's  heritage,  Ps.  33:12. 
"Blessed  is  the  nation  whose  God  is  Jehovah,  the  people  whom 
he  hath  shosen  for  his  own  inheritance ;"  and  Ps.  47  4,  "He 
chooseth  our  inheritance  for  us,  the  glory  of  Jacob  whom  he 
loved."  This  is  the  same  we  have  in  Psalm  2  :8,  "I  will  give 
thee  the  heathen  for  thine  inheritance."  The  same  is  found  in 
many  other  places. 

But  is  is  said  'inheritances'  in  the  plural  number,  whereas, 
the  inheritance  of  Christ  is  but  one.  This  is  because  it  must 
of  necessity  be  that  the  one  inheritance  of  Christ  must  be  di- 
vided into  many  parts  and  places,  on  account  of  the  great  mul- 
titude which  no  one  pastor  could  rule  and  teach.  Therefore 
as  there  must  be  many  pastors  and  stewards  in  the  one  inheri- 
tance of  God,  so  there  must  be  many  inheritances  which  are 
intrusted  to  them;  whence  it  comes  to  pass,  that  many  de- 
ceivers and  scatterers  of  the  same  will  rise  up  in  different 
places. 

The  tender  concern  of  the  Psalmist  is  shown  by  his  calling 
the  people  of  God  an  inheritance  rather  than  a  church,  a  people, 
or  an  assembly;  because  he  thereby  excites  greater  envy  in 
those  who  aim  to  scatter  it  and  produces  a  more  gracious  feel- 
ing in  himself  and  other  pastors  like  him.  For  if  an  inheritance 
is  that  which  every  one  loves  and  is  most  zealously  anxious 
about,  how  much  more  so  must  it  be  with  God.     Hence  he 


PSALM  V.  ^99 

Hence 


saith    Ex    19:5,  "Ye  shall  be  mine  own  possession."     Hence 
at  David  saith  in  this  Psah.  v.  10  'for  they  have  rebelled 

'''"the  metaphor  contained  in  the  title  'for  the  inheri- 
tances '  at  once  shows  the  scope  of  the  whole  Psalm.     For 
inheritances  must  be  cultivated,  tilled,  and  worked,  m  order 
hat  they  may  be   fruitful  and  improved.     For  that   reascn. 
they  will  have  many  snares  and  hindrances  thrown  m  their 
way,  and  will  meet  with  many  enemies  and  destroyers.    There- 
fore the  people  of  God  will  need  their  laborers,  thar  teachers, 
and  their  rulers,  by  the  industry  of  ^hom    the  -bentance  is 
cultivated  for  God  and  wrought  upon  and  prepared  by  h.s 
Word;  while  it  is  also,  on  the  other  hand    land  waste  and 
destroyed  by  wicked  teachers.     Hence  this  Psalm  is  entitled, 
'for  the  inheritances'  and  their  cultivators. 

We  may  add  this  Psalm  is  not  only  to  be  understood  of  the 
church  of  Christ  in  general,  but  also  of  every  part  of  the  people 
of  God  in  every  age,  all  of  whom  ever  have  the.r  seducers 
and  persecutors,  so  that  the  Psalm  in  general,  agreeably  to  its 
title    is  'for  the  inheritances.' 

kor  should  I  make  any  objection,  nay  I  would  rather 
coincide  with  him,  if  any  one  should  wish  by  'inheritances  to 
understand  the  two  opposite  classes  of  men;  that  is  those 
who  depend  upon  their  own  strength  and  those  who  depend 
upon  the  grace  of  God,  for  this  all  comes  to  the  point  before 

mentioned.  .  ,  ,. 

V.  I.    Gwe  ear  to  my  zvords,  0  Jehovah,  consider  my  medi 

tation  (cry). 

V.  2.     Hearken  unto  the  voice  of  my  cry   {prayei),  m) 
King,  and  my  God;  for  unto  thee  do  I  pray.   .  .      .  •    •  •    •  •  •  • 

This  is  the  way  in  which  the  Hebrew  divides  these  two 
verses  though  our  common  translation  joins  the  last  clause  of 
the  second  verse  to  the  beginning  of  the  third,  making  it  begin 
thus  "For  unto  thee,  O  Lord,"  etc.  The  rendering  by  Je- 
rome differs  very  little  from  this  our  received  translation,  ex- 


20O  LUTHEE  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

cept  that  for  "my  cry"  he  has  'my  roaring,'  and  Lyra  has  'my 
meditation,'  and  for  "the  voice  of  my  prayer"  he  has  'the  voice 
of  my  cry,' 

Here  also  I  must  venture  my  opinion  concerning  the  mean- 
ing of  the  Psahn.  As  I  said  above,  this  Psalm  especially 
strikes  at  self-justifiers  and  wicked  teachers,  the  aim  of  all  is 
one  and  the  same,  to  feed  their  own  pride.  For  the  blessed 
Virgin  describes  such  when  she  says,  "He  hath  scattered  the 
proud  in  the  imagination  of  their  hearts,"  Luke  1:51.  Be- 
cause all  wicked  doctrines  derive  their  origin  from  pride,  and 
therefore  Augustine  in  many  places  calls  pride  the  mother  of 
all  heresies,  for  it  is  humility  alone  that  teaches  rightly. 
Hence  Prov.  1 1 :2,  "When  pride  cometh,  then  cometh  shame ; 
but  with  the  lowly  is  wisdom."  The  proud  man  must  be  con- 
tumelious and  contentious;  he  must  judge  and  condemn  all 
others,  as  we  see  it  evidenced  by  the  Pharisee  in  the  Gospel 
in  his  conduct  towards  that  poor  humbled  sinner,  the  publican, 
Lukt  18;  and  also  those  in  the  house  of  Simon  the  leper,  in 
thei  conduct  towards  the  woman  who  was  a  sinner,  Luke 
18:11;  7:39. 

TJie  prophet  therefore  is  intent  upon  inveighing  against  the 
hypocrites  of  his  time,  who,  being  puffed  up  in  a  wonderful 
manner  with  their  own  righteousness  and  works,  thought 
nothing  at  all  of  the  enormous  sins  of  envy,  pride,  avarice,  and 
the  like,  nor  believed  that  they  had  any  need  of  the  grace  of 
God,  walking  securely  in  their  own  way  without  any  fear  of 
God ;  and  this  is  what  all  proud  men  of  this  kind  always  do, 
always  have  done,  and  always  will  do. 

David  begins  the  Psalm  humbly  with  prayer,  seeking  tiic 
grace  of  God,  and  thereby  he  plainly  and  powerfully,  at  the 
very  outset,  condemns  their  pride.  For  it  is  as  if  he  had 
said,  these  ungodly  characters  are  full,  are  holy  are  righteous, 
are  whole ;  and  therefore  they  want  no  physician,  nor  do  they 
seek,  O  Lord,  thy  grace  to  be  justified  thereby.  But  I,  a  poor 
needy  creature,  full  of  every  sin  and  brought  to  despair  of 


PSALM  V.  201 

myself  and  all  my  works  and  powers,  can  do  nothing  but  pray 
unto  thee  and  implore  thy  grace  and  mercy. 

Here  is  given  a  beautifully  marked  difference  between  the 
law  and  faith,  or  between  the  letter  and  the  Spirit.  This  Au- 
gustine in  his  work  upon  the  difference  between  the  letter  and 
the  Spirit,  sets  forth  thus  :  'The  law  of  works  saith  to  the  .n..  i, 
do  what  I  command ;  but  the  law  of  faith  saith  unto  God,  give 
what  thou  commandest.'  Again,  saith  he,  'what  the  law  of 
works  commands  with  threatening,  that  the  law  of  faith  (ob- 
tains by  believing.'  Hence  the  people  of  the  law  "tlicoloi^i 
justitiarii" ,  say,  I  have  done  so  and  so,  and  they  boast  in  pride 
as  if  they  were  justified  by  the  works  of  the  law;  but  the 
people  of  faith  say,  I  pray  that  I  may  be  enabled  to  do  it. 
The  former  trusting  in  works  do  not  seek  the  mercy  of  God : 
the  latter  accounting  all  their  righteousness  as  dung,  Phil.  3  :8, 
breathe  after  the  mercy  of  God  only.  Hence  the  apostle  saith 
of  the  former,  Rom.  10 13,  "For  being  ignorant  of  God's 
righteousness,  and  seeking  to  establish  their  own,  they  did 
not  subject  themselves  unto  the  righteousness  of  God."  There- 
fore the  letter  always  puffeth  up  and  killeth ;  but  the  Spirit 
humbleth  and  giveth  life.  "God  resisteth  the  proud,  but  giveth 
grace  to  the  humble,"  James  4 :6,  i  Pet.  5  15. 

Again  he  that  prays  in  this  threefold  petition,  must  pray 
with  a  deeply  moved  soul.  He  assigns  no  other  reason  for  his 
praying  thus,  than  his  confidence  that  he  should  both  pray  and 
be  heard;  "O,  Jehovah,  in  the  morning  shalt  thou  hear  my 
voice,"  verse  3.  Why,  David,  wilt  thou  pray  in  the  morn- 
ing? and  why  shalt  thou  be  heard?  "For  thou  art  not  a  God 
that  hath  pleasure  in  wickedness,"  v.  4.  And  what  is  the 
meaning  of  this?  Why,  that  God  loveth  humble  supplicators 
for  his  mercy,  but  hateth  the  proud  that  presume  upon  their 
own  righteousness. 

Behold,  saith  he,  for  this  reason  will  I  pray,  because  I 
know  that  this  pleases  thee,  that  thou  desirest  this,  and  that 
thou  hast  commanded  this,  that  man  should  acknowledge  him- 


202  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

self  a  sinner  and  that  his  whole  life  should  be  nothing  else 
than  a  state  of  praying  for,  desiring,  groaning  after,  and 
sighing  after  thy  mercy;  even  as  Luke  i8:i,  records  the  pre- 
cept, "That  they  ought  always  to  pray  and  not  to  faint."  Ps. 
105  4  says,  "Seek  his  face  evermore."  But  this,  saith  David, 
these  ungodly  presumers  never  do;  or  perhaps  they  may  oc- 
casionally do  it  for  a  moment,  or  rather  may  pretend  to  do  it, 
though  they  are  all  the  while  in  reality  full  and  satisfied ;  and 
therefore  thou,  O  Lord,  hatest  them,  seeing  that  they  neither 
acknowledge  their  own  things  nor  thine. 

Now  observe  the  order  and  force  of  the  v/ords,  "my  cry," 
"the  voice  of  my  prayer,"  "give  ear,"  "consider,"  "hearken." 
These  expressions  all  evince  the  urgency  and  energy  of  David's 
feelings  and  petitions.  First  we  have,  "Give  ear;"  that  is, 
hear  me.  But  it  is  of  little  service  for  the  words  to  be  heard 
unless  the  'cry,'  or  the  roaring,  or  the  meditation,  be  'con- 
sidered.' As  if  he  had  said  in  a  common  way  of  expression, 
I  speak  with  deep  anxiety  and  concern  but  with  a  failing  utter- 
ance ;  and  I  cannot  express  myself,  nor  make  myself  under- 
stood as  I  wish.  Do  thou  therefore  understand  from  my  feel- 
ings more  than  I  am  able  to  express  in  words.  Therefore  I 
add  my  "cry,"  that  what  I  cannot  express  in  words  for  thee 
to  hear  I  may  by  my  cry  signify  to  thine  understanding. 
When  thou  hast  understood  me,  then,  O  Lord,  "Hearken  unto 
the  voice  of  my  prayer"  and  despise  not  what  thou  hast  thus 
heard  and  understood. 

We  are  not  however  to  imagine  that  hearing,  understand- 
ing, and  hearkening,  are  all  different  acts  in  God,  in  the  same 
way  as  they  are  in  us ;  but  that  our  feelings  towards  God  are  to 
be  thus  varied  and  increased,  that  is,  that  we  are  first  to  desire 
to  be  heard,  then,  that  our  prayers  which  are  heard  may  be 
understood,  and  then  that,  being  understood,  they  may  be 
hearkened  unto,  that  is,  not  disregarded. 

The  exordium  of  this  prayer  of  David  consists  of  these 
three  parts,  whereby  he  desires  that  God  would  be  favorably 


PSALM   V.  203 

inclined  toward  him,  would  fully  understand  him,  and  would 
regard  his  petitions,  because  his  requests  are  worthy  of  God's 
attention,  easy  for  him  to  grant,  and  to  his  honor  to  accom- 
plish, and  also  most  necessary  for  himself. 

"My  King  and  my  God,"  continues  he.  Herein  he  plainly 
strikes  at  the  ungodly  work-righteous  persons,  who  act  with- 
out any  king  and  without  any  God,  being  sufficient  of  them- 
selves. This  is  one  of  the  passages  in  which  the  scope  of  this 
Psalm  is  touched  upon.  For  to  have  a  King  and  a  God  is 
for  a  man  to  presume  nothing  in  himself  but  to  yield  himself 
up  to  be  governed  and  ruled  by  God,'  to  become  altogether 
tractable,  and  to  ascribe  unto  God  every  thing  that  has  been 
received,  or  that  shall  be  received.  This  is  what  those  self- 
righteous  ones  never  do,  or  at  least  they  only  do  it  feignedly, 
because  they  ascribe  not  a  little  to  themselves.  Nay,  in  fact, 
as  they  do  not  ascribe  all  things  unto  God,  they  ascribe  noth- 
ing, for  he  that  ascribes  any  thing  unto  himself,  ascribes  unto 
himself  all  the  glory  of  it  also ;  and  they  who  ascribe  the  glory 
unto  themselves  ascribe  all  unto  themselves  and  nothing  unto 
God,  because  he  must  have  all  the  glory,  or  he  can  have  none, 
for  he  never  divides  his  glory,  nor  has  any  partner  therein, 
as  he  saith.  Is.  48:11,  "My  glory  I  will  not  give  to  another." 
Such  men  therefore  do  certainly  reign,  but  not  by  God;  they 
are  their  own  kings  and  their  own  idols. 

"For  unto  thee  do  I  pray."  Here  he  confesses  his  poverty 
and  has  nothing,  except  the  hope  that  as  he  prays  he  shall 
receive,  as  not  being  a  worker  but  one  who  prays. 

Here  again  in  these  two  particulars  we  have  the  whole  sum 
of  our  Christian  life  set  forth :  I  mean,  in  our  having  a  King 
and  a  God.  God  rules  us  as  King  when  he  takes  us  away  from 
ourselves  and  leads  us  unto  himself.  He  acts  as  our  God,  when 
he  receives  us  as  we  are  coming  unto  him  and  fills  us  with 
himself,  that  is,  with  all  good.  The  former  state  is  the  cross, 
the  manifestation,  the  transition,  or  our  being  led  out  of  the 
world  and  out  of  our  sins,  or,  in  a  word,  the  mortification  of 


204  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

our  flesh.  The  latter  is  our  being  received,  or  our  accepta- 
tion or  glorification. 

Hence  Augustine  says  upon  this  passage,  that  the  scrip- 
tures generally  call  the  Son,  rather  than  the  Father,  King. 
For  Christ,  by  his  twofold  nature,  has  accomplished  both  the 
above-mentioned  things  for  us.  By  the  kingdom  or  the  rule 
or  the  dominion  of  his  humanity,  or  as  the  apostle  calls  it, 
of  his  "flesh,"  which  is  carried  on  in  the  kingdom  of  faith,  he 
renders  us  deformed  and  crucifies  us,  making  us,  from  having 
been  securely  satisfied  proud  gods,  miserable  and  wretched 
sinners.  For  as,  in  our  old  Adam,  we  proudly  ascend  in  self- 
opinion,  so  as  to  imagine  ourselves  to  be  like  God  himself; 
therefore  he  descends  into  our  likeness,  that  he  may  bring  us 
back  to  the  true  knowledge  of  ourselves.  All  this  is  done  by 
his  incarnation,  that  is,  in  the  kingdom  of  faith  in  which  the 
cross  of  Christ  rules,  which  casts  down  all  that  divinity  that 
we  perversely  aspired  to  in  our  imaginations  and  brings  back 
the  true  sense  of  our  humanity  and  of  the  contemptible  in- 
firmity of  our  flesh  which  we  had  as  perversely  left  behind. 

But  by  the  dominion,  or  in  the  kingdom  of  his  divinity  and 
glory,  he  will  make  us  like  unto  his  glorious  body,  where  we 
shall  be  like  him ;  and  then  we  shall  be  no  more  sinners,  no 
more  weak,  but  shall  ourselves  be  kings,  the  sons  of  God,  and 
as  the  angels  that  are  in  heaven ;  then  shall  we  say  "my  God" 
in  real  possession,  which  now  we  say  only  in  hope. 

Hence,  it  is  not  without  due  propriety  that  he  says,  "my 
King,"  before  he  says,  "my  God;"  for  so  Thomas  the  apostle 
also,  John  20:28,  saith,  "My  Lord  and  my  God;"  because, 
Christ  must  first  be  apprehended  as  Man  before  he  is  ap- 
prehended as  God ;  and  the  cross  of  his  humanity  must  be 
sought  after  and  known  before  we  can  know  the  glory  of  his 
divinity ;  and  when  we  have  laid  hold  of  Christ  as  Man,  that  will 
soon  bring  with  it  the  knowledge  of  him  as  God. 

All  these  things  are  hard  to  be  received  by  the  flesh,  for 
that  would  rather  have  Christ  to  be  God  only  than  Man  also, 


PSALM  V.  205 

because  it  is  more  ready  to  seek  after  the  glory  than  the  cross, 
but  to  seek  glory  by  the  cross  is  what  it  abhors.  Thus  Moses 
fled  from  before  the  serpent  into  which  his  rod  had  been 
turned,  but  when  he  touched  it  and  took  it  by  the  tail  he  be- 
came glorious  in  miracles  and  was  made  a  god  to  Pharaoh.    Ex. 

4:3-4;  7:1- 

V.  3.  O  JcliovaJi,  ill  f/ic  morning  slialt  ilion  hear  my  voice; 
in  the  morning  zvill  I  order  my  prayer  unto  thee  and  zvill  keep 
zvatch  (stand  before  t]iee,and  zvill  look  up). 

I  must  here  labor  a  little  before  I  enter  into  the  sanctuary  of 
this  verse  and  come  at  the  full  understanding  of  it.  I  know 
two  things.  The  one  is  ,that  "morning"  in  the  scriptures  sig- 
nifies mystically  the  time  of  grace;  because,  when  Christ  the 
sun  of  righteousness  graciously  arises  upon  a  man  he  illumi- 
nates him,  and  does  so  as  often  as  he  vouchsafes  those  visita- 
tions. The  other  thing  is,  that  to  the  time  of  "morning,"  liter- 
ally understood,  are  devoted,  for  the  most  part,  sacred  and 
divine  works,  such  as  praying  and  teaching;  whereby  also  the 
mystical  morning  is  figuratively  represented. 

Hence  it  is  'that  the  Lord  looked  upon  the  hosts  of  the 
Egyptians  in  the  morning  watch  and  destroyed  them.'  Ex  14 :24. 
Hence  also  it  is  written,  Ps.  46:5,  "The  Lord  shall  help  her, 
and  that  right  early."  And  Ps.  63  7,  "I  will  meditate  on  thee 
in  the  night  watches."  But  concerning  wncked  and  ungodly 
teachers  he  saith,  Ps.  127:2,  "It  is  vain  for  you  to  rise  up  early 
to  eat  the  bread  of  toil." 

And  the  prophet  Micah,  2:1,  says  still  more  clearly  on  this 
point,  "Woe  to  them  that  devise  unprofitableness,  in  the  He- 
brew AVEN,  that  is  'iniquity,'  and  work  evil  upon  their  beds ! 
V\'hen  the  morning  is  light  they  practice  it,  because  it  is  in  the 
power  of  their  hand."  This  they  did,  when,  as  the  prophet 
Isaiah  says,  10:1,  they  taught  the  people  false  laws  and  false 
interpretations  of  the  laws  which  they  themselves  invented, 
whereby  they  devoured  the  people  both  body  and  soul ;  whence 
their  throat  is  rightly  called  "an  open  sepulchre,"  Ps.  5  :io. 


206  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

Agreeably  to  this  it  is  said  in  the  same  place,  Micah  2  :2,  im- 
mediately afterwards,  "And  they  covet  fields,  and  seize  them ; 
and  houses  and  take  them  away :  and  they  oppress  a  man  and 
his  house,  even  a  man  and  his  heritage."  God  saith  by  Amos, 
4:4,  "And  bring  your  sacrifices  every  morning."  From  all 
this  it  is  manifest  that  of  old  the  morning  was  the  time  de- 
voted to  sacrifices  and  self-justifications,  to  teaching  and  read- 
ing, in  a  word,  to  divine  things,  according  to  the  custom  which 
is  still  preserved  in  the  church  at  this  day. 

Setting  aside  therefore  the  mystical  meaning  of  the  word 
"morning,"  I  shall  interpret  it  according  to  the  temporal  sense 
as  well  as  I  can,  not  knowing  whether  I  shall  be  positively 
right.  The  morning  as  we  have  said  is  always  devoted  to  them 
rightly.  The  prophet  therefore  seenTs  to  me  to  separate  him- 
self, together  with  all  the  inheritances  of  God,  if  not  in  place 
and  time,  yet  certainly  in  affection  and  desire,  both  from  all 
ungodly  teachers  and  hearers  and  also  from  all  ungodly  work- 
ers. For  he  attacks  both  in  the  present  passage,  and  thereby 
shows  that  though  there  must  be  a  meeting  together  with  them 
in  the  same  place  and  at  the  same  morning  time,  for  divine 
purposes,  and  to  hear  the  law  of  God. 

But  they  corrupt  the  law  of  God  by  their  traditions,  or  at 
least  do  not  rightly  teach  it,  and  impiously  live  and  act  under 
the  appearance  of  what  is  holy  and  good,  and  yet  at  the  same 
time  teach  their  own  fables,  that  they  may  thereby  grow  fat, 
which  they  are  continually  accused  of  doing  by  all  the  pro- 
phets, and  which  we  hear  and  see  done  everywhere  throughout 
our  churches,  by  those  who  will  say  anything  in  the  church 
and  that  he  may  be  favored  to  hear  God  himself;  not  the  word 
shows  that  while  they  act  and  proceed  thus  his  prayers  and 
desires  shall  be  that  he  may  be  accounted  worthy  of  being  heard 
of  man  only,  but  the  Word  of  God. 

For  all  the  other  characters  do  as  it  is  said  of  them.  Is. 
30:9-11,  "For  it  is  a  rebellious  people,  lying  children,  children 
and  in  their  sermons  for  a  little  of  the  most  filthy  lucre.    David 


PSALM   V.  207 

that  will  not  hear  the  law  of  Jehovah ;  which  say  to  the  seers, 
see  not ;  and  to  the  prophets,  prophesy  not  unto  us  right  things  ; 
speak  unto  us  smooth  things,  prophesy  deceits,  get  you  out  of 
the  way,  turn  aside  out  of  the  path,  cause  the  Holy  One  of 
Israel  to  cease  from  before  us."  And  these  characters  Paul  also 
describes  in  his  Epistle  to  Timothy,  saying,  "And  they  will 
turn  away  their  ears  from  the  truth  and  will  turn  aside  unto 
fables,"  2  Tim.  4  •.4. 

The  sense  of  the  verse  therefore  is,  woe  is  me  that  I  must 
dwell  among  a  people  who  will  not  hear  the  truth  and  who 
abhor  the  Word  of  the  cross,  but  will  heap  to  themselves 
teachers  having  itching  ears.  As  Is,  6 :5  saith,  "I  dwell  in  the 
midst  of  a  people  of  unclean  lips,"  on  account  of  their  impious 
doctrines.  I  assemble  with  them  in  the  morning  to  hear  thee, 
but  behold,  I  hear  not  thee,  but  men  only.  They  teach  their 
own  ways  and  the  works  of  men.  Therefore  do  thou,  O  my 
King  and  my  God,  hear  me  in  the  mornings ;  because  at  those 
times  I  do  not  stand  before  them,  but  before  thee,  nor  do  I 
direct  my  thoughts  towards  them,  but  the  mouth  of  my  heart  is 
opened  unto  thee ;  it  is  before  thee  I  stand,  it  is  unto  thee  that 
I  offer  myself,  that  thou  wouldst  instruct  me  that  I  may  see 
and  understand,  according  to  that  Word,  "And  they  shall  all 
be  taught  of  God,"  John  6:45. 

Hence  you  see  that  all  the  burning  zeal  of  this  prophet  was 
roused  by  his  seeing  the  people  of  God  and  the  inheritances  of 
Christ  seduced  and  destroyed  by  those  that  taught  what  was 
corrupt.  Indeed  all  places  are  full  of  false  teachers  and  vainly- 
prating  deceivers  of  souls ;  which,  as  it  is  the  most  destructive 
of  all  evils,  so  it  the  most  heavily  afflicts  the  godly  mind. 

For  what  sight  can  be  more  distressing,  what  spectacle  more 
miserable,  than  to  see  a  wolf  go  through  a  flock  of  innocent 
sheep,  so  tearing  and  devouring  them  as  not  to  leave  one  of 
them  alive!  It  is  thus  that  a  wicked  and  impious  teacher 
rages  among  the  simple  sheep  of  Christ;  for  it  is  of  this  that 
Paul  warns  with  tears,  Acts  20:29,  saying,  "For  I  know  that 


208  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

after  my  departing  grievous  wolves  shall  enter  in  among  you, 
not  sparing  the  flock." 

In  thus  setting  forth  the  sense  of  this  verse  and  the  feelings 
of  the  prophet  we  almost  repeat  our  exposition  of  the  two  verses 
preceding;  for  we  ought  rightly  to  understand  here  that  these 
are  the  motions  of  an  overflowing  heart,  under  which  the  pro- 
phet grieves  at  the  multitude  of  these  teachers,  of  whom  we 
shall  hear  him  speak  miore  fully  presently,  when  he  beholds 
their  iniquity,  and  under  which  he  calls  upon  his  King  and  his 
God  with  such  repeated  petitions  against  these  tyrants  of  the 
law  and  against  these  idols  that  take  the  teacher's  chair.  This 
sense  of  the  passage  more  aptly  agrees  with  the  scope  of  the 
Psalm  than  that  mystical  interpretation  of  the  word  "morning," 
though  the  latter  does  not  differ  widely  from  the  same  point. 

This  third  verse  also  aptly  accords  with  the  former  inter- 
pretation, because  he  desires  to  be  taught  the  Word  and  work 
of  God,  and  not  those  of  men ;  and  it  rightly  agrees  with  the 
verses  preceding,  "Give  ear  unto  my  words,  O  Jehovah ;  con- 
sider my  meditation ;  hearken  unto  the  voice  of  my  cry,  my 
King  and  my  God,  for  unto  thee  do  I  pray."  And  for  what 
dost  thou  pray,  David  ?  For  that  which  is  a  gift  above  all 
things  necessary,  that  thou  wouldst  restrain  these  wicked  teach- 
ers, who  occupy  the  morning  time  and  the  place  in  teaching 
ungodly  doctrines  and  that  thou  wouldst  hear  me  in  that  for 
which  I  pray  unto  thee  at  that  time.  For  what  dost  thou  pray 
at  that  time?  That  I  may  stand  before  thcc  and  be  thy  hearer, 
that  I  may  be  instructed  by  thine  own  teaching  and  be  enlight- 
ened by  thine  own  illumination,  and  that  I  may  not  be  deceived 
together  with  those  who  have  itching  ears ;  for  thou  art  my 
King  who  rules  me  and  my  God  who  preserves  me.  Thus  the 
prayer  is  directed  absolutely  against  all  corrupt  doctrines  and 
works. 

He  says,  *My  voice  shalt  thou  hear  in  the  morning,  O  Lord ; 
in  the  morning  will  I  direct  my  prayer  unto  thee.  In  that  which 
1  pray,  do  thou  hearken  unto  me.    I  pray  for  all  the  true  teach- 


PSALM   V.  209 

ers  and  hearers  of  the  Word  which  are  accustomed  to  be  held 
forth  at  that  time.'  There  is  not  a  more  vehement  prayer  in 
all  the  Psalms  than  this  one,  nor  one  that  contains  so  many 
earnest  repetitions;  and  there  is  not  one  more  necessary  and 
wholesome  for  all  of  us  at  this  day,  nor  ever  has  been,  nor  ever 
will  be. 

Let  therefore  the  godly  Christian's  first  and  great  concern 
be  to  pray  unto  God  most  earnestly,  according  to  the  example 
given  in  this  Psalm,  for  all  the  inheritances  of  God,  that  his 
Word  may  flourish  among  his  people ;  for  it  is  by  the  Word 
only  that  the  people  of  God  live,  are  fed  and  are  preserved,  as 
Christ  saith.  Matt.  4  4,  "Man  shall  not  live  by  bread  alone, 
but  by  every  word  that  proceedeth  out  of  the  mouth  of  God." 
For  while  the  Word  of  God  flourishes  all  things  flourish  and 
go  well  in  the  church.  What  is  the  reason  that  at  this  day  the 
church  has  not  only  withered  av/ay  into  luxury  and  pomp,  but 
is  almost  wholly  destroyed  ?  What,  but  because  the  Word  of 
God  is  disregarded  and  the  laws  of  men  and  the  artful  inven- 
tions of  Rome  are  taught? 

Jerome  translates  the  words  according  to  their  native  energy 
thus,  "O  Lord,  in  the  morning  shalt  tliou  hear  my  voice :  in  the 
morning  v/ill  I  be  prepared  for  thee,  and  will  meditate."  And 
does  not  this  word  "prepared"  aptly  agree  with  the  sense 
above  mentioned  ?  For  what  else  is  it  to  be  prepared  for  God, 
than  to  become  teachable  and  tractable  in  the  hand  of  God? 
David  here  shows  that  he  does  not  want  to  be  prepared  by  man. 
Nor  does  it  militate  against  this  sense,  that  John  Rcuchlin, 
according  to  the  opinion  of  the  Jews,  renders  it,  'hi  the  morn- 
ing will  I  order,'  so  as  to  make  it  the  active  verb  which  the 
scripture  uses  when  speaking  of  arranging  and  ordering  sa- 
crifices ;  that  thus  it  may  signify  a  ready  and  prepared  state 
of  mind,  a  mind  that  casts  off  every  thing  that  stands  in  its 
way  and  is  resigned  and  devoted  to  the  whole  will  of  God. 
For  that  is  a  true  sacrifice  and  an  acceptable  offering  unto  God, 
when  a  man  orders  himself  in  this  way,  thus  prepares  him- 


2IO  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

self,  thus  stands  before  God,  and  becomes  thus  teachable  and 
tractable. 

It  is  manifest  that,  according  to  the  Hebrew  idiom,  the  verb 
'to  stand'  (adstarc)  is  a  verb  substantive,  or  an  absolute  verb; 
thus  "I  will  stand,"  or,  'I  will  order,'  that  is,  I  will  make  an 
ordering  or  an  offering,  that  is,  of  myself.  Hence  it  is  not 
inappropriately  translated  "I  will  stand."  We  are  here  at  the 
same  time  taught,  that  in  hearing  the  Word  of  God  we  aro 
not  to  be  intent  upon  the  man  that  is  speaking,  but  upon  God 
who  is  teaching. 

In  the  same  manner  the  word  'see'  or  'look  up'  is  absolute ; 
that  is,  I  shall  be  seeing,  I  shall  be  illuminated,  I  shall  be  in- 
structed, I  shall  become  one  that  can  see,  that  is,  one  that  can 
see  truth  and  righteousness ;  according  to  Micah  7  :g,  "He  Vvdll 
bring  me  forth  to  the  light,  and  I  shall  behold  his  righteous- 
ness." For  no  one  can  see  or  know  the  righteousness  of  God, 
but  he  whom  God  instructs  ;  all  others  are  only  vain  talkers  who 
speak  out  of  their  own  brain. 

Hence  it  is  that  Christ  gave  the  Holy  Spirit  to  his  apostles 
and  to  the  church  that  he  himself  niay  speak  in  us,  and  not  we 
from  ourselves.  If  therefore  David  had  stood  before  men 
he  would  n.ot  have  seen,  but  would  have  been  blind,  according 
to  the  words  of  Christ,  "If  the  blind  lead  the  blind,"  but  now, 
because  he  stands,  orders  himself,  and  is  prepared,  before  God, 
he  shall  see  and  be  illuminated. 

But  if  the  mystical  morning  rather  pleases  any  one,  which 
is  the  beginning  of  grace,  wherein  the  church  begins  to  stand 
before  God  and  to  see,  I  make  no  objection  to  it.  Though  I 
am  never  much  in  a  hurry  to  follow  mysteries  where  I  can  have 
the  plain  letter.  Nor  should  I  say  any  thing  in  opposition  to 
it,  if  by  'morning'  and  'standing'  and  'seeing'  any  one  should 
wish  to  understand  man's  offering  up  himself,  not  as  a  self- 
righteous  sacrifice  so  as  to  boast  of  having  given  something 
unto  God,  but  as  evincing  a  state  of  mind  that  is  waiting  to 
receive  the  rig-htcousness  of  God. 


PSALM  V.  211 

V.  4.    For  tJiou  art  not  a  God  that  liath  pleasure  in  zvicked 
ness:  evil  shall  not  sojourn  with  thee  {nor  shall  the  malignant 
man  dwell  with  thee). 

V.  5.  The  arrogant  {the  unrighteous)  shall  not  stand  in  thy 
sight;  thou  hatest  all  workers  of  iniquity. 

V.  6.  Thou  zvilt  destroy  them  that  speak  lies;  Jehovah 
abhorreth  the  bloodthirsty  and  deceitful  man. 

He  here  accuses  corrupt  teachers  and  their  disciples  under 
seven  different  appellations,  so  great  is  his  zeal  for  the  true 
life  and  doctrine  of  godliness.  Hence  we  must  understand 
this  part  of  God's  Word,  as  well  as  every  other,  in  the  Spirit 
and  in  faith.  For  the  characters  concerning  whom  David  is 
here  speaking,  if  you  look  at  their  external  appearance  and 
outward  show,  will  seem  to  be  every  thing  but  what  he  here 
declares  they  are,  so  deceptively  covered  are  they  with  the 
clothing  of  sheep  and  the  name  of  Christ.  In  a  word  their 
opinion  is  that  these  things  which  are  said  concerning  them 
belong  altogether  vnito  others,  whom  they  look  upon  as  their 
adversaries.  Hence  they  acknowledge  neither  the  names  nor 
the  works  which  are  here  set  forth,  for  they  would  turn  them 
thus,  'For  thou  art  a  God  that  hath  pleasure  in  equity,  and 
we  shal  dwell  with  thee,  for  we  are  kind;  and  shall  stand  in 
thy  sight,  for  we  are  righteous.  Thou  lovest  us  the  workers 
of  righteousness  and  thou  shalt  preserve  us,  for  we  are  speakers 
of  truth.  Thou  shalt  highly  esteem  us,  for  we  are  men  gentle 
and  sincere.'  Such  are  the  glories  which  these  ungodly  ones 
foolishly  imagine  concerning  themselves ;  but  all  that  is  here 
said  contrary  to  this,  they  transfer  to  the  truly  godly,  righteous, 
and  lovers  of  God. 

This  perversion  of  things  shall  remain  until  the  end  of  the 
world.  Thus  we  read,  that  Jacob  and  Esau  struggled  in  the 
womb  of  Rebecca,  Gen.  25  -.22 ;  and  thus  also  the  two  harlots 
contended  before  King  Solomon  for  the  living  son,  i  Kings 
3  :i6  etc.  For  heretics  and  false  preachers  always  arrogate  to 
themselves  the  title  of  truth,  righteousness,  and  the  church,  and 


212  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

they  excel  all  men  in  external  pomp  and  show,  though  they  are 
excelled  by  the  just  in  the  sight  of  God ;  and  in  reality  the  truly 
catholic  and  righteous  alone  are  they  who  excel  all,  though 
without  any  pomp  and  show,  because  they  are  righteous  before 
God. 

Let  us  then  dwell  a  little  upon  these  seven  terms,  "wicked- 
ness," malignant,"  "unrighteous,"  "workers  of  iniquity,"  "them 
that  speak  lies,"  "bloody  man,,'  "deceitful  man ;"  under  which 
terms  David  sets  forth  six  evils  and  sorts  of  characters :  —  a 
God  that  has  no  pleasure,  those  that  shall  not  dv/ell  with  God, 
those  that  shall  not  stand  in  his  sight,  those  that  shall  be  hated, 
those  that  shall  be  destroyed,  and  those  that  shall  be  abhorred. 

First  then  we  have  "wickedness,"  which  had  been  better 
rendered  ungodliness.  For,  as  we  have  shov.ai  in  Psalm  i, 
RASCHA  signifies  ungodliness,  that  ungodliness  whence  proceeds 
the  "counsel  of  the  ungodly."  This  ungodliness,  as  I  have  be- 
fore observed,  is  unbelief  itself  and  a  perverse  opinion  concern- 
ing God  and  his  Word  and  works,  though,  as  to  its  outward 
appearance,  it  carries  a  show  of  godliness.  Our  God  therefore 
as  he  is  just  and  righteous,  has  no  pleasure  in  ungodliness, 
that  is  he  does  not  desire  it,  he  cannot  delight  himself  in  it. 
For  the  Hebrew  word  in  this  place  is  haphez,  whence  comes 
HEPHZO,  which  is  used  in  Psalm  i  :2,  "his  will  is  the  law  of 
the  Lord,"  or  his  'desire,'  or  'his  delight.'  The  sense  of  the 
present  verse  is  appropriately  set  forth  in  Psalm  51  :i6,  "For 
thou  desirest  not  sacrifice,  else  would  I  give  it  tliee :  thou  de- 
lightest  not  in  burnt-offering."  Why  does  God  not  desire  sa- 
crifice? Why  does  he  not  delight  in  burntoffering?  Because 
the  sacrifice  of  "a  broken  spirit,"  which  is  tlie  sacrifice  of  god- 
liness, is  wanting ;  and  therefore,  godliness  is  wanting,  and  that 
want  makes  the  sacrifices  of  the  wicked  "an  abomination  unto 
the  Lord,"  according  to  Prov.  15:8. 

The  sense  of  the  whole  Psalm  is,  I  will  therefore  pray  unto 
thee,  I  therefore  desire  of  thee  to  hear  me,  I  will  therefore 
stand  before  thee  and  will  look  up,  because  I  know  that  the 


PSALM   V.  213 

desires,  the  prayers,  and  the  sacrifices  of  the  ungodly  do  not 
at  all  please  thee,  as  they  blindly  presume  and  as  they  seduce 
others  to  presume;  for  while  they  hide  ungodliness  under  all 
their  works  and  sacrifices,  they  never  acknowledge  it  nor  are 
humbled  on  account  of  it,  but  rest  content  as  if  all  were  going 
on  well  because  they  had  performed  those  works. 

In  this  same  way  also  Is,  i  :ii,  exposes  and  condemns  these 
characters,  saying,  "What  unto  me  is  the  multitude  of  your 
sacrifices?"  Again  he  saith  just  afterwards,  verse  16,  "Wash 
you,  make  you  clean."  As  if  he  had  said,  these  works  them- 
selves, while  ye  remain  unclean  and  ungodly  and  without  either 
faith  or  hope  in  my  mercy,  which  alone  justify  and  take  away 
ungodliness,  cannot  please,  however  specious  they  may  be.  Ye 
rest  wholly  on  works  and  judge  according  to  external  appear- 
ance, and  thus  ye  seem  to  yourselves  to  be  godly  and  holy. 
But  I  look  at  your  heart  and  judge  according  to  truth,  and 
thus  I  find  you  to  be  ungodly.  As  Christ  said  unto  the  Phari- 
sees, "Ye  are  they  that  justify  yourselves  in  the  sight  of  men; 
but  God  knoweth  your  hearts."    Luke  16:15. 

This  is  what  is  meant  by  the  present  verse,  Thou  art  not 
a  God  that  hath  pleasure  in  ungodliness.  Thou  art  not  de- 
ceived by  the  outward  appearance  of  works,  so  as  not  to  dis- 
cern the  ungodliness  of  the  heart.  Such  men  are  rather  de- 
ceived themselves,  who,  being  led  away  by  an  external  show  of 
works,  never  acknowledge  their  ungodliness,  and  who,  while 
they  imagine  that  they  please  thee  the  most  of  all  men,  are  of 
all  men  the  farthest  from  pleasing  thee. 

Secondly  :  We  have,  "Neither  shall  the  malignant  man  dwell 
with  thee."  In  the  Hebrew  it  is  ra,  that  is,  a  bad  man,  or  bad- 
ness ;  so  that  it  may  either  signify  an  ungodly  man,  or  ungod- 
liness, because  where  ungodliness,  infidelity,  and  unbelief  reign, 
there  also  malice  or  malignity  reigns.  For  what  can  the  man 
do,  who  is  destitute  of  the  good  grace  of  God,  but  sin?  By 
malignity  in  this  passage  we  are  to  understand  the  very  root 
and  the  old  leaven  of  malice  and  wickedness,  whereby,  being 


214  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

destitute  of  grace,  we  are  prone  to  rush  into  every  sin,  when- 
ever occasion  is  given  us  for  so  doing.  As  Christ  saith  to  his 
disciples,  "If  ye  then,  being  evil,  know  how  to  give  good  gifts 
unto  your  children,"  Matt.  7:11. 

This  malice  however  plausibly  conceals  itself  under  the  cov- 
ering of  works  that  are  holy  and  pious  in  appearance,  until 
some  opportunity  or  occasion  presents  itself  to  irritate  it  and  to 
force  it  to  display  itself  in  its  true  colors.  You  may  see  many 
who  are  gentle,  humble,  and  kind  in  their  words,  actions,  and 
deportment,  who,  if  you  but  touch  them  with  your  finger,  be- 
come in  a  moment  most  cruel,  most  austere,  and  ready  to  com- 
mit every  evil.  Yet  these  characters  in  the  present  day  go  by 
the  honorable  name  of  men  of  acute  feelings,  because  on  ac- 
count of  their  external  show  of  a  good  conversation  they  must 
not  be  called  "malignant;"  though  they  all  the  while  perish 
themselves  in  security,  and  destroy  all  others  who,  after  their 
example,  neglect  to  mortify  this  malignity.  For  all  these  pas- 
sions and  acute  feelings  are  a  proof  of  the  root  of  malignity, 
showing  that  godliness,  or  faith  in  God,  is  there  wanting  and 
that  ungodliness  is  in  full  dominion.  Such  therefore  shall  not 
dwell  with  God  nor  tarry  in  his  sight. 

Thirdly :  We  have  "unrighteous,"  whom  the  Hebrew  calls 
HOLOELiM,  which  signifies  properly  those  who  break  forth  into 
the  outward  act,  transgress,  and  commit  evil  both  in  deed  and 
word.  Ungodliness,  indeed,  and  malignity  frequently  lie  hid- 
den, except  in  those  to  whom  the  spirituality  of  the  law  has 
been  opened,  for  the  latter  confess  themselves  to  be  sinners 
with  the  Apostle  Paul,  Rom.  7  -.g,  and  these  make  the  'tree  evil.' 
But  these  holoelim  are  they  who  bring  forth  the  'evil  fruits' 
by  following  the  malignity  of  their  ungodly  hearts,  concerning 
whom  Solomon  saith,  Ecc.  10:13,  "The  beginning  of  the  words 
of  his  mouth  is  foolishness ;  and  the  end  of  his  talk  is  holeloth 
ra;"  which  translators  have  rendered  'the  worst  of  errors,'  mis- 
chievous madness. 

We  still  see  therefore  a  beautiful  order  kept  up  in  the  words. 


PSALM   V.  215 

First,  there  is  ungodliness,  a  state  in  which  we  are  left  to  our- 
selves without  the  assistance  of  the  grace  of  God.  This  is 
followed,  secondly,  by  malice,  by  which  w^e  are  inclined  to 
perform  outwardly  that  which  is  in  us,  that  is,  every  evil.  And 
thirdly,  there  is  unrighteousnes,  the  transgression  itself,  that 
is,  the  very  fruits  of  this  ungodliness  and  malignity. 

These,  saith  David,  "shall  not  stand  in  thy  sight,"  or,  as  the 
Hebrew  has  it,  'The  iioloelim  shall  not  make  to  stand  in  the 
sight  of  thy  eyes.'  And  this  verb  'shall  not  make  to  stand,'  or 
'shall  not  place,  or  establish'  (statiicnt),  is  exactly  the  same  as 
that  verb  in  Ps.  2  :2,  which  the  translators  have  rendered  by  the 
perfect,  "The  kings  of  the  earth  stood  up,"  instead  of  'shall 
make  to  stand'  or  'shall  establish ;'  that  is,  in  the  full  meaning  of 
the  absolute  verb,  'shall  make  themselves  to  stand.'  So  also  here 
"shall  not  stand,"  shall  not  make  themselves  to  stand  before 
God,  shall  not  appear  before  him,  which  nevertheless  they  most 
confidently  belive  they  shall  do,  being  deceived  by  their  false 
opinions  and  works,  for  they  do  not  believe  that  they  do  evilly 
even  when  they  are  really  doing  evil. 

Fourthly :  "Thou  hatest  all  workers  of  iniquity."  We  read 
this  same  sentence  in  many  places  in  the  Old  Testament,  and  it 
is  always  written  with  the  verb  paal,  which,  as  we  have  shown, 
Psalm  I,  signifies  'to  do  or  to  work,'  and  the  noun  aven,  which 
is  variously  and  differently  rendered,  as  we  have  before  seen, 
verse  3  of  this  Psalm. 

Now  I  see  that  the  prophets,  especially  Hosea  10 :5,  playing 
as  it  were  upon  the  word,  have  called  that  place  Beth-aven 
instead  of  Bethel,  where  Jeroboam  the  first  king  of  Israel  set 
up  the  golden  calves  to  be  worshipped,  lest  the  people  of  Is- 
rael should  go  to  Jerusalem  to  sacrifice  and  should  ultimately 
revolt  from  him  to  the  king  of  Judah,  as  we  read,  i  Kings  12: 
26-33.  Hence  v^diere  they  ought  to  have  called  it  Bcth-el,  that 
is  the  house  of  God,  they  call  it  Beth-aven,  which  some  have 
rendered  'the  house  of  the  idol,'  that  is,  contrarv  to  the  house 


2l6  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

of  God,  or,  more  properly,  'the  house  of  iniquity  or  wicked- 
ness,' or  'the  house  of  idolatry,' 

Following  the  prophets  therefore,  I  would  rather  understand 
by  AVEN  'iniquity  and  idolatry,'  not  that  idolatry  only  which 
serves  idols  of  wood  and  stone,  but  rather  that  idolatry  which 
Samuel,  i  Sam.  15  :22,  sets  forth  unto  Saul  in  a  powerful  v/ay, 
thus,  "Hath  Jehovah  as  great  delight  in  burnt-olTerings  and 
sacrifices  as  in  obeying  the  voice  of  Jehovah?  Behold  to  obey 
is  better  than  sacrifice,  and  to  hearken  than  the  fat  of  rams. 
For  rebellion  is  as  the  sin  of  witchcraft,  and  stubbornness  is 
as  idolatr}^  and  teraphim."  Here  we  see  that  this  religion  of 
Saul  was  a  furious  disobedience,  a  perverse  superstition,  and  a 
wretched  aven  ;  for  of  this  we  find  him  accused  openly  through- 
out the  Old  Testament,  as  being  the  way  in  which  he  reigned. 

So  in  our  day,  no  pest  more  awfully  rages  than  when  men 
leave  the  way  v/hich  God  has  ordained  and  make  to  themselves 
another  way  of  worshipping  him  entirely  of  their  ovvai  in- 
vention, and  attempt  to  serve  him  in  it. 

Thus  the  bishops,  who  are  the  best,  delegate  the  office  of 
the  Word  and  the  care  of  the  people  to  the  most  unworthy 
and  the  most  ignorant  people,  and  they  devote  themselves  with 
all  their  power  to  add  to  their  possessions,  buildings,  income, 
and  the  appearance  of  their  churches,  and  imagine  that  thereby 
they  do  God  a  service  in  that  they  are  disobedient.  The  priests 
also  and  the  spiritual  leaders  who  are  the  holiest,  do  rather 
anything  else  for  God  than  fulfill  their  office.  For  here  we  do 
not  say  any  thing  about  the  wicked ;  for  the  Romish  court  does 
not  in  the  least  come  under  consideration  here,  for  it  is  totally 
corrupt. 

This  unhappy  fall  into  disobedience  has  gained  ground  much 
more  widely  than  any  one  can  describe.  For  in  every  condi- 
tion of  life  among  Christians  you  find  that,  neglecting  the  ob- 
servance of  God's  commandments,  they  v/orship  God  according 
to  their  own  traditions  and  opinions. 

This,  I  say,  is  the  aven,  that  outside  show  of  works  under 


PSALM   V.  217 

which,  as  I  said  hefore,  they  cover  their  iniquity,  iingodhnes, 
niahgnity,  and  every  transgression,  and  this  sheep's-clothing 
and  pestilent  hypocrisy,  lays  waste  the  Christian  reHgion  more 
dreadfully  than  any  sword,  famine,  or  pestilence. 

Behold  therefore  how  the  prophet  is  inflamed  with  zeal 
against  this  inipious  piety  and  this  irreligious  religion,  than 
which  there  is  no  religion  that  he  more  bitterly  hates,  saying, 
"Thou  hatest  all  them  that  work  iniquity."  "All,"  saith  he, 
and  "thou  hatest."  Here  lest  any  should  imagine  that  they 
please  God  by  such  an  accursed  superstition,  he  declares  that 
"all"  are  under  the  hatred  of  God,  without  excepting  one. 

For  in  fact  misdirected  service  is  mischievous  in  human  af- 
fairs, which  is  apparent  since  the  right  obedience  is  thereby 
neglected.  For  who  would  sufl;er  that  a  shepherd,  to  whom  the 
care  of  the  sheep  had  been  committed,  should  leave  the  sheep 
and  begin  to  serve  his  lord  in  his  bedciiamber?  This  is  forci- 
bly taught  us  in  Aesop's  fable  of  the  ass,  that  tried  to  imitate 
tlie  ways  of  the  little  dog  and  v/as  stricken  with  a  cudgel,  be- 
cause it  neglected  its  ov/n  duty  and  meddled  with  the  office  of 
another. 

It  is  just  this  evil  that  causes  many  to  be  dissatisfied  with 
their  own  order,  station  or  calling ;  since  they  look  at  the  oftice 
of  others  as  if  it  were  better,  and  are  displeased  with  their  own. 
One  leaves  the  priesthood  to  become  a  Carthusian  friar,  another 
leaves  this  calling  for  that.  It  is  this  of  which  Job  speaks,  6  :i6, 
"They  that  fear  the  hoary  frost,  the  snow  shall  fall  upon  them." 
(Vulgate).    They  flee  from  the  rain  and  fall  into  the  water. 

These  few  observations  will  suffice  concerning  this  greatest 
and  most  widely  prevailing  depravity,  which  we  shall  hereafter 
always  express  by  the  term  'disobedience'  or  'idolatry'  that  is, 
the  externally  holy  vv'orship  of  tlie  ungodly.  For  they  do  not 
openly  violate  the  commands  of  God,  like  the  publicans  and 
harlots,  but  under  a  show  of  great  works  and  singular  piety,  as 
was  the  case  with  Bernard.  Ps.  91  :6  calls  these  characters 
"the  devil,  or  the  destruction,  that  wasteth  at  noon-day."    The 


2l8  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

apostle  Paul  calls  them  "ministers  of  Satan  fashioning-  them- 
selves as  ministers  of  righteousness,"  2  Cor.  11  :i5,  a  description 
of  whom  we  have  plainly  and  strikingly  set  before  us  in  the 
above  mentioned  character  of  Saul,  i  Sam.  15:13  etc. 

Therefore  aven  is  rightly  interpreted  by  many,  not  only 
'iniquity,'  but  also  'pain'  and  'labor'  because  this  disobedience 
has  indeed  in  it  much  pain  and  labor.  Hence  as  the  common 
proverb  goes,  'It  is  harder  work  to  merit  hell  than  to  merit 
heaven.'  For  the  devil  presses  these  his  martyrs  most  terribly 
and  never  gives  them  any  relief  or  refreshment.  As  the  Lord 
said  by  Moses,  Deut.  31  :i6-i7,  that  he  would  deliver  the  people 
of  Israel  into  the  hands  of  their  enemies  and  that  they  should 
there  serve  strange  gods  which  should  give  them  no  rest  neither 
day  nor  night. 

So  Ecc.  10:15,  "The  labor  of  fools  wearieth  every  one  of 
them."  And  it  is  said  frequently  in  the  same  book,  i  :i4;  2:17; 
4  :i6,  that  to  such  "all  is  vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit."  Where- 
as on  the  contrary,  although  Christ  chasteneth,  yet  "his  yoke  is 
easy  and  his  burden  is  light,"  because  he  relieves  and  refreshes 
all  who  are  weary  and  heavy  laden  with  a  joyful  confidence  of 
heart,  if  they  will  but  come  unto  him.  Matt.  11.  But  all  the 
former  characters  will  have  to  say  with  Wisdom  2:1,  "Our  life 
is  short  and  tedious.""^ 

Whoever  wishes  to  study  this  subject  further  should  read 
Paul,  Rom.  12  :3  etc,  and  i  Cor.  12  :ii  etc.,  where  he  treats  of  it 
with  all  diligence,  that  each  member  should  perform  its  own 
ofhce,  so  that  no  confusion  of  the  members  would  arise,  which 
would  be  the  case  if  the  eyes  began  to  do  the  office  of  feet,  or 
the  feet  the  office  of  the  eyes,  but  hold  to  the  rule  of  Prov.  4 :25, 
"Let  thine  eyes  look  right  on,  and  let  thine  eyelids  look  straight 
before  thee."    Look  before  thee,  and  take  heed  to  thyself." 

Proverbs  against  this  perversion  have  arisen  among  the 


*)  St.  Louis  Walch  gives  Wisdom   5:7,  "We  wearied  ourselves 
in  the  way." 


PSALM   V.  219 

heathen,  as,  "let  each  one  work  at  the  trade  he  has  learned," 
and  "shoemaker  stick  to  your  last,"  and  "let  each  one  remain  in 
his  own  skin." 

Fifthly :  "Thou  wilt  destroy  them  that  speak  lies."  Here 
he  attacks  the  teachers  and  the  doctrine  of  iniquity;  for  the 
Hebrew  verb  bibber  seems  to  me  to  signify  that  kind  of  speech 
whereby  something  is  taught  or  spoken  or  recited  in  public. 
Hence,  the  word  dabar  signifies  the  thing  done  or  wrought,  or 
rather,  spoken  or  narrated.  This  figurative  mode  of  speech 
has  been  preserved  by  Luke,  2:15,  "Let  us  now  go  even  unto 
Bethlehem  and  see  this  word  (rema) ,"  'that  is,  this  thing  which 
is  done  and  spoken  of.  And  indeed,  in  the  book  of  Leviticus 
a  clear  distinction  is  made  between  the  words  dibber  and  amar, 
each  of  which  signifies  'to  speak'  or  'to  say.'  For  it  is  con- 
tinually written,  "The  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying :"  where 
the  first  verb  is  dibber,  that  is,  'spake.'  Hence  it  is  in  constant 
use  with  the  prophets,  as  "And  the  Word  of  the  Lord  came 
unto  me,  saying."  Wherefore,  dibber  generally  signifies  'to 
speak  any  thing  forth  publicly  in  the  way  of  doctrine'  which 
doctrine  is  particularly  specified  by  the  verb  amar.  Even  if 
this  distinction  and  difference  are  not  universally  received  and 
allowed,  yet  let  us  use  them  thus  until  we  shall  have  found 
something  better.  It  is  at  least  certain  that  the  word  which 
is  here  rendered  'to  speak,'  in  many  places  signifies  'to  teach,' 
as  in  Ps.  119:46,  "I  will  also  speak  of  thy  testimonies."  And 
Ps.  60:6,  "God  hath  spoken  in  his  holiness"  or  'in  his  saint' 
(sane to  suo). 

Therefore,  as  the  life  of  the  ungodly  is,  such  is  their  doc- 
trine ;  as  they  act,  so  they  speak.  Hence  the  whole  is  ungodly, 
evil,  and  iniquitous,  all  which  David  includes  in  the  term  "lies." 
These  "lies"  he  called,  Ps.  i,  "the  counsel  of  the  ungodly," 
nay,  "the  seat  of  pestilence  and  scofifers."  The  madness  of  such 
characters  as  these  rages  and  reigns  at  this  day  also,  concern- 
ing whom  Paul  said,  2  Tim.  3  :y,  "Ever  learning,  and  never 
able  to  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth."    They  strenuously 


220  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

devote  themselves  to  the  teaching  of  good  works,  as  they 
imagine  them  to  be,  whereas  they  have  never  yet  known  what 
good  works  are,  because  they  are  utterly  destitute  of  the 
knov\Aledge  of  faith.  Hence  it  comes  to  pass  that  they  most 
miserably  crucify  and  murder  the  people  by  their  lies  and  im- 
pious fables  which  they  take  from  the  morals  of  philosophers, 
the  laws  of  men,  and  their  own  precepts  and  traditions,  con- 
cerning which  I  have  spoken  before  and  shall  say  more  here- 
after. 

Sixthly :  Jehovah  abhorreth  the  bloodthirsty  and  deceitful 
man."  Here  David  shows,  in  a  very  few  words,  what  sort  of 
men  the  above-mentioned  characters  are  toward  their  neighbors, 
in  their  manners  and  conversation ;  that  is,  that  they  love  no 
one  from  their  heart.  For  as  they  are  destitute  of  grace  and 
true  godliness  and  are  left  in  their  own  malice,  it  of  necessity 
follows  that  they  are  polluted  with  the  love  and  conceited 
opinion  of  themselves  from  the  crown  of  their  head  even  unto 
the  sole  of  their  feet.  They  feign  indeed  all  things.  They  call 
each  other  and  all  men  their  dearest  friends,  write  to  them  as 
such  and  speak  with  them  as  such.  They  appear  to  be  humane 
and  sweet  tempered,  and,  under  that  covering,  they  plausibly 
conceal  "bloody"  men ;  but  all  this  is  deceit.  This  is  manifested 
the  very  moment  they  begin  to  be  offended,  or  whenever  an 
occasion  presents  itself  wherein  they  are  required  to  give  proof 
of  their  benevolence;  for  then  the  deceit  immediately  appears 
and  the  blood-thirsty  anger  and  hatred  show  themselves  and  all 
the  consequences  which  follow.  For  they  never  love  any  one 
unless  it  be  for  their  own- advantage ;  it  is  never  that  they  may 
do  others  good,  but  that  they  may  do  themselves  good. 

These  words  therefore  are  to  be  understood  spiritually,  not 
as  having  respect  unto  the  external  appearance,  but  a  search- 
ing of  the  heart  and  the  reins.  For  the  words  of  faith  are  di- 
rectly contrary  to  all  outward  appearance  and  have  respect 
unto  the  things  and  times  of  the  cross.  It  is  by  such  words 
tliat  those  vv'ho  are  of  the  character  mentioned  are  discovered 


PSALM   V.  221 

and  are  found  to  hate  every  man  and  to  love  no  one  truly,  be- 
cause they  love  themselves. 

Under  this  disease  no  set  of  men  labor  more  than  those 
most  holy  and  most  religious  martyrs  of  the  devil,  whom  we 
have  already  denominated  ungodly,  workers  of  iniquity,  and 
cl'ildren  of  disobedience;  and  all  under  the  external  garment 
and  show  of  godliness,  the  power  of  which  they  above  all  men 
deny. 

If  thou  dost  not  believe  these  things,  or  dost  not  know  them 
to  be  true,  only  consult  experience.  The  whole  world  is  full 
of  this  complaint,  that  there  is  no  faithfulness  to  be  found 
among  men,  that  all  things  wdiich  are  either  done  or  spoken 
are  feigned  and  dissembled ;  so  that  they  will  aver  the  truth  of 
that  word  of  Micah  7  :5,  though  they  may  never  have  read  it, 
"Trust  ye  not  in  a  neighbor ;  put  ye  not  confidence  in  a  friend ; 
keep  the  doors  of  thy  mouth  from  her  that  lieth  in  thy  bosom. 
For  the  son  dishonoreth  the  father,  the  daughter  riseth  up 
against  her  mother,  the  daughter-in-law  against  her  mother- 
in-law  ;  a  man's  enemies  are  the  men  of  his  own  house." 

Hence  it  was  that  Christ  gave  this  admonition,  "Beware  of 
men,"  Matt.  10:17.  For  if  thou  indulge  their  wishes  and  be 
useful  to  them,  thou  wilt  find  them  deceitful  friends ;  and  if 
thou  offend  them  or  dissent  from  them,  especially  if  thou  do  it 
for  God's  or  the  truth's  sake,  thou  wilt  find  them  most  bloody 
enemies.  Therefore,  David  could  not  describe  the  nature  of 
man  in  terms  more  apt  and  short  than  by  calling  it  "bloody  and 
deceitful." 

So  rare  a  thing  is  it  to  find  one  who  does  not  act  deceitfully 
with  his  neighbor  and  v/ho  is  faithful.  A  man  will  live  with 
you  pleasantly,  will  speak  to  you  courteously,  and  smile  upon 
vou;  but  if  you  ask  him  to  help  you  with  ten  dollars  of  Iiis 
large  property  you  make  him  your  enemy  at  once.  Indeed,  if 
you  do  not  serve  him  in  all  things,  even  in  those  things  v/hich 
are  unjust  and  wrong,  you  are  sure  to  lose  your  friend.  In  a 
word,  if  you  do  not  lay  yourself  out  for  his  use  to  gratify  him 


222  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

in  all  his  desires,  without  making  use  of  him  in  the  least  in- 
stance for  your  own  service,  you  wil  not  have  your  friend's  ac- 
quaintance long.  These  things  we  are  taught  by  experience ; 
so  easy  is  it  to  understand  the  present  verse. 

Yet  these  characters  will  not  acknov/ledge  their  miserable 
state,  for  they  all  despise  these  things  and  believe  themselves 
to  be  the  farthest  of  all  men  on  earth  from  blood-thirstiness  and 
deceit.  First,  on  account  of  their  specious  works ;  for,  being 
inflated  and  blinded  with  these,  they  cannot  see  themselves. 
Next  they  are  so  in  love  with  themselves  and  so  kindly  indulge 
their  own  vices,  that  they  ahvays  have  before  their  eyes,  not 
how  many  evil  things,  but  how  many  good  things  they  have 
done.  This  their  blindness  is  increased  by  their  considering  it 
to  be  a  heavenly  holiness  to  hate  those  by  whom  they  have  been 
injured,  or  rather,  by  whom  they  imagine  they  have  been  in- 
jured; for  they  look  upon  themselves  as  persons  qualified  by 
their  eminent  righteousness  to  hold  the  unrighteous  in  hatred. 

Being  subverted  by  this  madness,  they  proceed  to  such 
lengths,  that,  neglecting  the  beam  that  is  in  their  ov/n  eye  and 
beholding  the  mote  that  is  in  the  eye  of  another,  they  desire 
to  have  themselves  accounted  humane  and  faithful  while  they 
judge  others  to  be  the  bloody  and  deceitful  men.  Thus,  with 
a  perpetual  perversion  and  madness  they  place  upon  others  that 
divine  abhorrence  v/hich  is  declared  to  rest  upon  tliemselves. 
Whence  it  comes  that  if  they  read  the  scriptures  they  do  not 
understand  them,  and  if  they  hear  them,  they  do  not  receive 
them,  as  considering  that  they  do  not  belong  to  them ;  and  thus 
they  become  wholly  incorrigible,  of  whom  we  read.  Matt.  1 1 : 
16-17,  iinto  whom,  if  you  pipe  they  will  not  dance,  and  if  you 
mourn  they  will  not  lament.  God's  Word  and  work  on  these 
are  lost. 

It  is  also  no  small  mantle  for  their  wickedness  that  when- 
ever they  lose  some  of  their  friends  they  find  or  have  others 
with  whom  they  associate  in  the  same  deceitfulness.  Deceived 
by  the  mutual  understanding  with  these,  as  is  the  case  with  de- 


PSALM  V.  223 

ceit,  they  have  no  concern  as  to  how  many  they  hate  and  de- 
spise, but  toward  how  many  they  are  benevolently  disposed, 
though  it  may  be  hardly  the  thousand  thousandth  part,  and  it 
occurs  not  to  them  that  Christ  commanded  to  "despise  not  one 
of  these  little  ones."    Matt.  18  :io. 

Behold  the  fruits  which  this  trusting  in  their  own  works 
and  their  own  righteousness  brings  forth ;  namely,  ignorance 
of  themselves,  obstinacy,  and  incorrigibleness,  together  with  all 
the  evils  of  ungodliness,  malice,  disobedience,  and  every  other 
sin.  Such  monsters  are  they  v/ho  can  conceal,  nourish,  and 
preserve  themselves  under  a  covering  so  light  and  trifling. 
Moreover,  horrible  monsters  like  these  can  appear  before  God 
in  the  morning,  sacrifice  to  him,  and  believe  that  they  can  please 
him ;  nor  do  they  ever  implore  his  mercy,  but  give  him  tlianks, 
like  the  ungodly  Pharisee,  that  they  are  not  as  other  men. 
Is  not  this  horrid  to  see  and  hear !  And  is  not  the  burning 
zeal  of  the  prophet  against  such  instances  of  madness  most  just ! 

Now  let  us  sum  up  the  contents  of  these  three  verses.  The 
two  former  describe  the  four  sins  whereby  we  sin  against  God. 
Two  are  contained  in  the  first  verse,  namely,  ungodliness  and 
malignity.  The  former  is  an  aversion  from  God,  that  is,  a 
being  destitute  of  a  pure  love  and  a  right  opinion  of  God. 
The  latter  is  a  turning  towards  self,  that  is,  an  inclination  to 
all  evil  works  and  an  enmity  against  all  good  works,  as  pervert- 
ed affections  and  a  perverted  opinion.  By  these  two  sins  the 
person  himself  is  described,  that  is,  the  bad  tree,  such  as  these 
characters  are  in  the  sight  of  God. 

The  other  two  sins  are  contained  in  the  second  verse, 
nemely,  unrighteousness  and  the  working  of  iniquity.  The 
former  of  which  is  transgression  or  the  effect  of  malignity  and 
the  omission  of  the  worship  of  God.  The  latter  is  the  external 
appearance  of  the  worship  of  God,  but  in  reality  disobedience 
and  idolatry.  For  in  these  two  sins  are  comprehended  all 
the  evil  fruits  and  works  which  we  bring  forth  and  do  in  divine 
things.      The   one   is,    doing   things   contrary    to    really   good 


224  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

works  and  to  the  true  worship  of  God,  which  characters  are 
the  HOLOELiM,  the  other  is  doing  things  feignedly  which  are 
good  in  appearance  but  contrary  to  the  obedience  of  God,  which 
characters  are  "the  workers  of  iniquity." 

The  third  verse  describes  those  sins  which  are  committed 
against  man,  which  are  three.  First,  "Hes,"  whereby  men 
seduce  others  by  word,  example,  and  conduct  from  the  true 
worship  of  God  into  their  own  impious  idolatries,  making  others 
like  unto  themselves  in  tliose  things  which  pertain  unto  God. 
Secondly,  Hatred  and  all  those  things  which  follow  it,  whence 
they  are  called  "blood  thirsty"  men.  And  thirdly,  deceit  and 
all  its  consequences,  whereby  men  make  use  of  others  only 
for  their  own  advantage,  use,  and  pleasuree,  and  wherein  are 
included  all  the  sins  of  a  perverted  love.  For  there  are  fraud 
and  deceit  in  all  carnal  love,  as  is  abundantly  manifest.  For 
as  hatred  and  love  are  the  grand  and  ruling  affections  v/hich 
direct  all  their  actions,  it  is  evident  that  the  whole  viperous 
poison  of  a  vicious  life  and  conversation  lies  in  these,  which 
hatred  is  bloody  and  which  love  is  deceitful ;  for  a  right  hatred 
opposes  all  that  is  sin  and  a  pure  love  seeks  those  things  which 
are  to  the  profit  of  others,  and  not  to  its  own  profit. 

To  conclude  the  whole  of  this  scripture,  they  that  come 
in  the  "morning,"  saith  David,  do  not  pray,  O  Lord ;  neither  do 
they  want  thee,  nor  do  they  desire  to  be  heard.  They  are 
full  and  satisfied,  being  filled  with  all  that  mass  of  filth,  their 
own  righteousnesses.  Nor  do  they  "stand"  before  thee,  nor 
do  they  ofifer  themselves  unto  thee,  that  they  may  be  formed 
by  thee,  and  that  they  may  be  illuminated  in  order  that  they 
might  "see" ;  but  they  rather  form  themselves  against  thee,  and 
agreeably  to  the  idol  of  their  own  hearts,  as  Isaiah  saith,  46 :5, 
having  false  opinions  of  thee;  and  therefore  they  see  not,  but 
are  rather  blinded  and  hardened.  This  most  certainly  will  be 
their  case,  because  thou  hast  not,  as  they  imagine  thou  hast, 
any  pleasure  in  iniquity,  but  hatest  the  ungodly  and  utterly 
abhorrest  all  such.     But  I,  says  David,  come  unto  thee,  stand 


PSALM   V.  225 

before  thee,  and  offer  myself  unto  thee,  that  I  may  be  formed 
by  thee,  that  I  may  think  of  thee  according  to  thy  nature,  that 
I  may  be  illuminated  and  may  see.  They  come  unto  thee, 
bringing  with  them,  as  an  offering  unto  thee,  their  own  good 
works,  deeds,  and  merits,  and  thereby  take  away  with  them 
the  greater  evils  and  sins ;  but  I  come  unto  thee  to  beg  of  thee 
thy  good  things,  confessing  my  own  evils  and  sins.  They 
because  they  are  whole,  need  not  a  physician ;  but  I,  because  I 
am  weak,  and  under  dangerous  disease,  seek  a  physician.  This 
is  now  shown  in  the  verse  that  follows. 

V.  7.  —  But  as  for  nic,  in  flic  ahi'indancc  of  thy  loving- 
kindness  {mercy),  will  I  come  into  thy  house:  in  thy  fear  will 
I  zvorship  tozcard  tJiy  holy  temple. 

A  blessed  verse  this !  a  blessed  saying !  The  words  and 
the  sense  itself  carry  with  them  a  powerful  contrast.  For  there 
are  two  things  with  which  this  life  is  exercised,  hope  and  fear, 
which  are  as  it  were  those  two  springs  of  Judges  1:15,  the  one 
from  above,  the  other  from  beneath.  Fear  comes  from  behold- 
ing the  threats  and  fearful  judgments  of  God,  as  being  a  God 
in  whose  sight  no  one  is  clean,  every  one  is  a  sinner,  every 
one  is  under  condemnation.  But  hope  comes  from  beholding 
the  promises  and  the  sweet  mercies  of  God ;  as  it  is  written, 
Ps.  25  :6,  "Remember,  O  Jehovah,  thy  tender  mercies  and  thy 
lovingkindnesscs ;  for  they  have  been  ever  of  old." 

Between  these  two,  fear  and  hope,  as  between  the  upper 
and  nether  millstone,  we  must  always  be  ground  and  kept  that 
we  never  turn  either  to  the  right  hand  or  to  the  left.  For 
this  turning  is  the  state  peculiar  to  hypocrites  who  are  exercised 
with  the  two  contrary  things,  security  and  presumption.  By 
security  they  decline  to  the  left  hand,  neglecting  the  fear  of 
God,  as  in  Ps.  36:1,  "There  is  no  fear  of  God  before  their 
eyes" ;  and  by  presumption  they  decline  to  the  right  hand,  while, 
having  no  fear  of  God,  they  presumingly  imagine  all  that  they 
do  pleases  him.  For  while  they  do  not  acknowledge  themselves 
sinners  it  must  follow  that  they  fear  not  God,  whose  judgments 


226  LUTHER  ON    THE   PSALMS. 

they  never  consider,  as  it  is  written,  Ps.  10:5,  "Thy  judgments 
are  far  above  out  of  his  sight."  Therefore,  instead  of  the  judg- 
ments of  God,  they  set  before  themselves  a  certain  ignorant 
idea  of  God,  and  instead  of  his  mercy,  their  own  righteousness. 
Hence  it  follows  that  they  can  neither  hope  nor  fear. 

This  therefore  is  the  contrast  which  David  uses.  They  who 
are  without  thy  fear,  disregarding  thy  terrible  judgments,  wor- 
ship thee  in  security  like  the  Pharisee  in  the  Gospel,  Luke  18, 
and  they  enter  into  thy  holy  temple  in  the  multitude  of  their 
own  righteousness,  and  come  into  thy  sight  without  feeling  any 
need  of  thy  mercy. 

But  I,  being  conscious  that  I  cannot  be  safe  in  the  sight 
of  thee  and  of  thy  judgments,  wholly  despair  of  myself,  and  so 
enter  thy  temple  and  stand  before  thee,  as  to  have  thy  mercy 
only  before  my  eyes,  which  mercy  I  know  to  be  great  and  in- 
finite; and  looking  at  that  only,  I  find  boldness  and  feel  safe, 
as  in  Ps.  26 13,  "For  thy  lovingkindness  is  before  mine  eyes, 
and  I  have  walked  in  thy  truth."  Entering  with  this  con- 
fidence therefore  I  will  worship  in  thy  temple ;  but  in  thy  fear, 
not  presumtuously  imagining  that  I  shall  please  thee  of  myself, 
for  I  shall  rather  be  in  fear,  lest  my  service  and  worship  should 
deserve  thy  reproof.  By  remaining  in  this  fear  I  shall  preserve 
unto  thee  thine  honor  and  keep  myself  humble ;  while  I  do 
not  justify  myself,  but  in  a  humble  mind  expect  thy  judgments, 
having  nevertheless  a  hope  in  thy  pardoning  mercy. 

You  clearly  see  therefore  that  the  scope  of  this  Psalm  is 
directed  to  show  the  difference  between  the  religion  of  the  godly 
and  the  ungodly,  the  humble  and  the  presumptuous.  For  he 
draws  a  comparison  between  himself  and  them  in  this  m.orning 
service,  which  is,  entering  into  the  house  of  the  Lord  and  wor- 
shipping toward  his  holy  temple ;  for  it  is  there  that  the  works 
and  doctrines  of  all  are  especially  and  chiefly  made  known. 

The  contrast  of  the  words  is  very  beautiful,  but  somewhat 
changed.  For  he  puts  the  "mercy"  of  God,  which  is  the  object 
of  hope,  without  expressing  the  word  'hope'.     Again,  he  puts 


PSALM   V.  ^T.'J 

"fear",  the  object  of  which  is  the  judgments  of  God,  without 
expressing  the  word  'judgments';  whereas,  to  have  made  the 
antithesis  quite  correct,  he  should  have  put  the  words  mercy 
r.nd  judgment,  or  hope  and  fear.  But  it  was  necessary  to  ex- 
press mercy,  the  object  of  hope,  as  well  as  the  nature  of  hope. 
Nay  rather,  the  object  of  hope  is  the  multitude  of  the  mercies 
of  God;  which  is  set  before  the  hope  of  the  godly,  because 
they  are  too  much  inclined  to  fear  and  approach  unto  God  and 
divine  works  with  great  awe  and  reverence. 

Hence  these  two,  hope  and  fear,  are  the  two  sacrifices  and 
works  that  are  by  far  the  most  acceptable  unto  God,  which  those 
ungodly  self-justifiers  neither  teach  nor  understand,  and  there- 
fore they  neither  do  them  nor  are  able  to  do  them. 

The  whole  world,  as  I  have  said,  is  at  this  day  full  of  the 
ungodliness  of  these  same  characters,  who  draw  men  into  a 
confidence  in  their  own  works  and  righteousness  and  do  not 
permit  them  to  attain  unto  the  fear  of  God  and  to  a  hope  in  his 
mercy;  and  such  are  ever  learning,  but  never  able  to  come 
unto  the  knowledge  of  the  truth,  and  as  Christ  saith,  Luke  1 1 : 
52^  "Ye  too,  took  away  the  key  of  knowledge,"  namely,  the 
power  of  teaching,  and  the  knowledge  of  God,  "ye  entered  not 
in  yourselves,  and  them  that  were  entering  in  ye  hindered." 

These  presumptuous  persons,  these  most  secure  despisers  of 
the  judgments  and  mercies  of  God,  Isaiah  also  copiously  ex- 
poses and  condemns,  i  :ii,  saying,  "What  unto  me  is  the  mul- 
titude of  your  sacrifices  ?  saith  Jehovah."  And  verse  15,  "When 
ye  make  many  prayers  I  will  not  hear,"  etc.  And  why?  It 
is  shown  in  what  follows,  verses  15,  16,  "Your  hands  are 
full  of  blood.     Wash  you,  make  you  clean." 

Hence,  nothing  can  please  God  but  that  which  is  done  in 
humility,  and  humility  cannot  be  exercised  unless  we  fear  the 
judgment  of  God  in  every  work  we  do  however  good  it  may 
always  be.  Humility  rests  alone  upon  the  goodness  of  God, 
which  he  gratuitously  bestows  by  grace.  Against  this  kind 
of  godliness  the  people  of  Israel  fought  above  all  people  in  the 


228  LUTHER  ON    THE   PSALMS. 

world,  from  a  natural  and  inbred  presumption,  being  puffed  up 
in  a  wonderful  manner  with  their  law  and  works. 

But  you  ask  the  question,  perhaps,  how  can  David  promise 
that  he  will  enter  into  the  house  of  the  Lord  and  into  his  temple, 
when,  in  his  time,  there  was  no  temple  or  house  of  God,  and 
when  the  ark  of  the  testimony  in  the  tabernacle  of  Moses  was 
instead  of  a  temple?  David  says  in  another  place  also,  Ps.122 : 
2,  3,  "Let  us  go  unto  the  house  of  Jehovah.  Our  feet  are  stand- 
ing within  thy  gates,  O  Jerusalem."  And  Ps.  135  :2,  "Ye  that 
stand  in  the  house  of  Jehovah,  in  the  courts  of  the  house  of 
our  God."  From  such  passages  one  might  suspect  that  these 
were  not  the  Psalms  of  David,  or  that  they  were  altered  by 
Ezra  afterwards. 

According  to  my  opinion,  any  place  where  God  is  wor- 
shipped may  be  rightly  called  the  house  of  God.  For  we  well 
know  that  the  place  where  Abraham  offered  his  sacrifice  was 
called  Beth-el,  that  is,  the  house  of  God,  Gen.  22 14 ;  which 
Jeroboam,  having  polluted  with  his  golden  calves,  afterwards 
was  called  Beth-aven,  i  Kings  12  129 ;  Hosea  4:15;  10 :5,  that  is, 
the  house  of  iniquity.  Jacob,Gen.  28  119,  when  he  had  slept  on 
Mount  Moriah,  'the  mount  of  reverence',  or  'of  the  worship  of 
God',  or,  as  others  will  have  it,  'the  mount  of  vision',  on  which 
the  temple  of  Solomon  was  afterwards  built,  2  Chron.  3:1,  set 
up  a  stone  and  said,  "This  stone,  which  I  have  set  for  a  pillar, 
shall  be  God's  house,"  Gen.  28  :22. 

Wherefore  laying  aside  all  mystical  interpretations,  I  wish 
to  understand  by  the  house  of  God,  a  fixed  place,  in  which  there 
is  an  assembling  together  to  worship  God  and  to  hear  his  Word. 
Such  was  the  place  in  which  Cain  and  Abel  offered  their  offer- 
ings and  heard  the  Word  of  God,  and  such  were  afterwards  the 
altars  of  all  the  fathers,  Noah,  Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacob,  Job ;  in 
their  different  places ;  until  we  come  down  to  the  tabernacle  of 
Moses  and  the  temple  of  Solomon. 

For  as  the  Word  of  God  never  utterly  failed  in  the  world, 
so  neither  did  the  worship  of  God.    Therefore  there  must  have 


PSALM  V.  229 

been  places  in  every  age  in  which  divine  works  were  performed. 
For  when  Jacob,  Gen,  35:1,  etc.,  was  going  to  build  an  altar 
unto  God  and  commanded  them  to  put  away  the  strange  gods 
from  among  them,  what  did  he  but  preach  the  Word  of  God  in 
the  same  manner  as  we  do  now? 

Since  therefore  we  find  that  hypocrisy  and  false  doctrine 
reign  most  especially  in  the  worship  of  God,  for  it  always  pre- 
tends to,  and  defiles,  the  best  things,  and  that  true  godliness 
and  specious  hypocrisy  contended  with  each  other  in  the  first 
two  brothers  Cain  and  Abel;  therefore  it  is  that  the  present 
Psalm  strikes  at  that  false  show  of  godliness  in  the  ungodly 
and  at  its  doctrine,  which  are  found  in  the  worship  of  God  that 
is  performed  in  the  morning. 

For  what  degree  of  sincerity  can  he  show  in  his  dealings 
and  works  among  men,  which  are  things  so  inferior,  who  acts 
perversely  and  impiously  in  that  first  and  most  sublime  of 
all  works,  the  worship  of  God?  wherein  a  false  outside  show 
is  the  more  injurious,  the  more  specious  it  is,  and  the  more 
it  resembles  a  true  and  really  holy  work.  In  a  word,  there 
is  nothing  in  the  world  more  perilous  than  false  religion,  or 
idolatry,  for  this  is  the  fountain  of  all  evil,  though  under  the 
name  of  all  good. 

The  house  or  temple  of  God  therefore  is  that  place  in  every 
age  and  among  any  holy  persons  where  God  is  worshipped. 
For  God  may  truly  be  said  to  dwell  where  he  is  truly  wor- 
shipped, but  especially,  in  the  general  assembly  of  his  saints. 
Wherefore,  one  place  is  not  called  the  house  and  temple  of  God 
more  than  another  on  account  of  the  magnificence,  cost,  or  size 
of  the  edifice,  or  on  account  of  the  multitude  of  the  people,  but, 
as  I  said,  on  account  of  the  assembling  of  many  to  pray  and 
worship  God  and  hear  his  Word,  according  to  Ps.  102 :22, 
'When  the  peoples  are  gathered  together,  and  the  kingdoms, 
to  serve  Jehovah.".  Whence,  the  place  is  called  the  house  of 
God  on  account  of  the  people  for  that  is  indeed  the  house  of 
God,  and  not  the  people  on  account  of  the  house. 


230  LUTHER  ON   THE  PSALMS. 

But  there  is  a  powerful  superstition  now  prevailing  that  is 
devoted  to  building,  consecrating,  and  preserving  temples  of 
this  sort  throughout  the  whole  world,  in  which  there  is  not  so 
much  concern  manifested  about  the  people  being  godly,  the 
worship  true,  and  the  Word  of  God  pure,  as  about  making  the 
temples  themselves  magnificent  in  riches,  splendor  and  pomp, 
superb  buildings,  and  all  such  kind  of  worldly  vanity.  To  set 
forth  the  whole  state  of  the  case  after  the  manner  of  this  Psalm, 
every  thing  else,  with  shame  be  it  spoken,  seems  to  be  attended 
to  in  these  places  appointed  for  divine  worship,  except  entering 
into  them  in  the  multitude  of  the  mercies  of  God,  and  worship- 
ping him  in  his  fear ;  and  every  thing  is  taught  in  them  except 
that  we  ought  to  enter  into  them  in  the  fear  of  God  and  worship 
him  in  truth;  whereas,  it  was  for  these  purposes  alone  that 
they  were  ordained. 

Hence  it  is  no  wonder  that  they  are  often  riven  asunder  with 
lightning  as  profane  houses;  for  there  are  no  places  under 
heaven  filled  with  greater  abuses,  iniquities,  and  deceptions, 
than  these  which  are  expressly  dedicated  only  to  the  most  pure, 
yea,  divine  works  and  duties.  For  though  crimes  are  com- 
mitted in  other  houses,  yet  the  name  of  God  is  not  so  polluted 
in  them,  because  that  holy  name  is  not  there  called  upon.  For 
in  religious  houses  the  sin  is  doubly  great. 

V.  8.  —  Lead  me,  O  Jehovah,  in  thy  righteousness,  because 
of  mine  enemies;  make  thy  zvay  straight  before  my  face  {direct 
my  i^my  in  thy  sight). 

The  Hebrew,  according  to  Jerome,  is,  "Lead  me,  O  Lord, 
in  thy  righteousness :  because  of  mine  enemies  make  thy  way 
straight  before  my  face." 

I  have  said  that  from  the  beginning  of  the  world  there  have 
been  false  workers  and  lying  teachers  as  is  taught  in  2  Pet.  2:1, 
and  therefore,  the  world  has  never  been  without  false  religion 
and  idolatry. 

These  characters,  2  Pet.  2:14,  "are  enticing  unstedfast 
souls",  for  there  is  nothing  more  insidious  than  this  iniquity  of 


PSALM  V.  231 

the  serpent;  and  of  this  iniquity  Paul  had  many  fears  when 
writing  to  the  Corinthians,  for  he  says,  2  Cor.  1 1  :3,  "But  I 
fear  lest  by  any  means,  as  the  serpent  beguiled  Eve  in  his 
craftiness,  your  minds  should  be  corrupted  from  the  simplicity 
that  is  toward  Christ." 

The  Hebrew  word  schorerai  may  indeed  signify  "ene- 
mies," as  our  translation  has  rendered  it,  but  it  signifies  more 
properly  'one  that  plots  evil  with  a  malicious  design,'  that  is, 
by  treachery,  and  that  too,  under  the  appearance  of  doing  good. 
These  characters  the  apostle  calls  phrcnapatai,  that  is,  deceivers 
of  minds,  as  being  men  who  corrupt  others  by  false  opinions, 
especially  in  those  things  which  pertain  unto  God.  This  signi- 
fication of  the  word  most  strikingly  accords  with  the  design 
of  this  Psalm;  which  shows  that  there  is  no  pestilence  more 
to  be  dreaded  by  sincere  and  godly  men  than  the  crafty  machin- 
ations of  false  religion  and  false  learning;  and  therefore  it 
teaches  us  that  the  only  way  in  which  such  machinations  can 
be  guarded  against  is  by  prayer.  This  is  the  serpent  thai  al- 
ways insidiously  lies  at  our  heel  that  it  may  corrupt  the  way 
of  true  godliness.  Hence  the  word  schorerai  would  not  be 
rendered  improperly  'seducers'  or  'defilers'  or  'corrupters'. 

By  the  righteousness  of  God,  which  we  shall  often  meet 
hereafter,  we  ought  always  to  understand  according  to  its  can- 
onical signification,  not  that  righteousness  whereby  God  himself 
is  just  and  whereby  he  condemns  the  wicked,  which  is  the 
righteousness  that  is  generally  understood  to  be  meant ;  but  as 
Augustine  has  beautifully  said  in  his  work  on  the  'spirit  and 
the  letter',  we  ought  to  understand  it  as  signifying  that  right- 
eousness wherewith  God  clothes  man  when  he  justifies  him, 
that  is,  that  mercy  itself  or  that  justifying  grace,  whereby  we 
are  accounted  before  God ;  concerning  which  the  apostle  saith, 
Rom.  i:iy,  'For  therein  is  revealed  a  "righteousness  of  God 
from  faith  unto  faith :  as  it  is  written,  "the  righteous  shall 
live  by  faith."     Again,  Rom.  3:21,  "But  now  apart  from  the 


232  LUTHER  ON   THE   PSALMS. 

law  a  righteousness  of  God  hath  been  manifested,  being  wit- 
nessed by  the  law  and  the  prophets." 

It  is  called  the  righteousness  of  God,  because  it  is  by  his 
grace  freely  given  unto  us,  even  as  that  is  called  the  work  of 
God  which  he  works  in  us,  that  the  Word  of  God  which  he 
speaks  in  us,  and  that  strength  of  God  which  he  makes  perfect 
in  our  weakness,  etc.  As  in  Ps.  31  :i,  "Deliver  me  in  thy  right- 
eousness." And  Rom.  10:3,  "For  being  ignorant  of  God's 
righteousness,  and  seeking  to  establish  their  own,  they  did  not 
subject  themselves  to  the  righteousness  of  God."  Hence  also, 
that  passage  of  Ps.  24  :5,  is  not  improperly  rendered  by  our 
translator,  "He  shall  receive  a  blessing  from  the  Lord,  and 
mercy  (in  the  Vulgate)  from  the  God  of  his  salvation,"  though 
the  Hebrew  has  it  'righteousness'  instead  of  'mercy',  because 
the  blessing  of  the  Lord  and  the  righteousness  of  the  Lord  are 
the  same  thing,  that  is,  they  are  both  that  mercy  and  grace  of 
God  which  are  freely  given  us  in  Christ. 

This  scriptural  manner  of  speaking  of  the  righteousness  of 
God,  because  it  is  different  from  the  usual  mode  of  speech 
among  men,  has  been  made  the  occasion  of  many  difficulties  in 
many  places.  We  are  not  indeed  to  cast  away  the  saying  that 
the  righteousness  of  God  is  that  righteousness  by  which  he  is 
righteous.  So  that  we  are  made  righteous  by  the  same  right- 
eousness whereby  God  is  righteous,  even  as  we  were  made  to 
exist  by  the  same  word  whereby  God  spoke  us  into  being,  and 
as  we  exist  now  by  his  existence,  and  as  also,  his  being  is  our 
being.  But  these  things  are  of  a  nature  too  high  to  be  pursued 
farther  upon  the  present  occasion  and  are  deeper  than  most 
men  can  comprehend,  and  though  they  are  useful  and  necessary, 
yet  we  must  leave  them  for  some  other  opportunity. 

This  translation  of  the  Hebrew  by  Jerome  is  also  most  cor- 
rect, "The  way  straight  before  my  face,"  which  we  have  ren- 
dered, "My  way  in  thy  sight,"  a  sense  directly  the  contrary. 
But  the  Hebrew  agrees  with  the  preceding  clause  and  makes 
it  a  repetition,  because  "thy  righteousness"  and  "thy  way"  are 


PSALM  V.  233 

nearly  the  same  thing ;  for  the  "way"  of  God  is  the  "righteous 
ness  of  God,  in  which  we  are  to  Hve  and  walk  and  not  in  our 
own  way  and  our  own  righteousness.  This  is  the  way  of  God 
and  the  way  of  the  righteous,  which  are  spoken  of  in  Ps,  i  :6, 
"For  the  Lord  knoweth  the  way  of  the  righteous,  but  the  way 
of  the  ungodly  shall  perish."  This  is  what  John  meant,  when 
he  said.  Matt.  3  13,  "Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord."  It  is 
the  way  of  God,  when,  as  he  saith  he  will.  Lev.  26:12,  'He  walks 
in  us';  that  is,  works  in  us,  lives  in. us  and  speaks  in  us;  for, 
saith  Christ,  "It  is  not  ye  that  speak,"  Matt.  10  :20. 

Yet  our  translation  does  not  wrongly  or  improperly  render 
this  passage,  "My  way  in  thy  sight";  because  when  God  works 
in  us  we  are  rightly  said  to  work ;  though  this  working"  of  ours 
is  a  being  influenced  and  led  by,  and  a  being  passive  under  the 
hand  of  an  operating  God,  as  this  verse  implies  when  it  says, 
'Lead  me',  "Direct  my  way",  whereby  it  signifies  that  the  man 
does  not  act  of  himself  but  is  lead  and  acted  on  of  God. 

Nor  do  these  two  "before  my  face"  and  "in  thy  sight"  mili- 
tate against  each  other.  For  each  expression  is  peculiar  to  the 
Holy  Scriptures ;  and  they  both  show  that  all  we  do  should  be 
done  as  in  the  sight  of  God,  in  his  presence  and  before  his  eyes, 
these  things  are  in  the  power  neither  of  our  own  free  will  nor 
of  our  own  righteousness,  but  are  a  work  of  divine  grace.  And 
thus  our  Latin  translation  shows  by  these  words  that  by  "my 
way"  the  way  of  God  is  to  be  understood,  which  the  Hebrew 
expressed  by  "the  way".  Again  by  "before  me"  the  Hebrew 
shows  that  the  way  of  God  is  our  way,  which  our  Latin  transla- 
tion expresses  by  "my  way"  in  order  that  we  may  turn  our  face 
to  the  way  of  God  and  direct  our  way  before  the  face  of  God. 
The  way  of  God  before  our  face  is  the  same  as  our  way  before 
the  face  of  God ;  both  necessarily  take  place  at  the  same  time. 

This  figurative  expression  strikes  at  the  ungodly  and  their 
perverseness,  for  they  turn  their  faces  to  their  own  way  and 
their  backs  unto  God  and  so  walk  on.  Thus,  Lev.  26 :27,etc., 
'And  if  ye  walk  contrary  unto  me :    then  I  will  walk  contrary 


234  LUTHEK  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

unto  you  in  wrath',  etc.  These  characters  consider  and  follow 
their  own  works  only  and  disregard  the  way  and  works  of  God ; 
as  it  is  written,  Is.  2  :8,  "They  worship  the  work  of  their  own 
hands,  that  which  their  own  fingers  have  made."  Again,  Is. 
5:12,  "But  they  regard  not  the  work  of  Jehovah,  neither  have 
they  considered  the  operation  of  his  hands."  And  all  this,  as  we 
have  said,  proceeds  from  their  hating  the  way  of  the  cross  and 
the  life  of  faith,  which  compel  them  to  lay  aside  all  that  they 
are  in  themselves  and  all  that  they  know,  and  from  their  en- 
deavoring in  vain  to  worship  God  according  to  the  command- 
ments and  doctrines  of  men;  as  saith  Is.  29:13,  and  as  it  is 
repeated  in  Matt.  15:9. 

The  verb  "direct"  or  'make  straight'  is  of  most  frequent  use 
in  the  scriptures ;  in  which  is  set  forth  the  rightness,  or  up- 
rightness, or  right  direction  of  the  heart,  as  in  Ps.  119  7,  "I  will 
give  thanks  unto  thee  with  uprightness  of  heart."  And  Ps. 
73  :i,  "Surely  God  is  good  to  Israel,  even  to  such  as  are  pure 
(upright)  in  heart."  Again,  Cant,  i  4,  "In  uprightness  do  they 
love  thee."  Hence  the  word  uprightness  is  sometimes  put  ab- 
solutely, as  in  Ps.  99 14,  'Thou  executest  uprightness' ;  namely, 
thou  alone  makest  uprightness ;  whatever  uprightness  of  heart 
there  is  to  be  found  any  where,  the  whole  is  thy  gift.  Those 
that  are  made  thus  upright  are  the  only  persons  who  truly  love 
and  please  God. 

This  uprightness  is  a  sound  opinion  and  right  knowledge 
of  God,  Contrary  to  it,  is  the  corruption  or  perversion  of  heart, 
which  latter,  as  we  have  frequently  shown,  is  the  state  of  heart 
in  the  proud,  "the  counsel  of  the  ungodly",  and  "the  wisdom  of 
the  flesh",  and  there  are  many  other  terms  whereby  it  is  set 
forth  in  the  scriptures.  That  is  called  an  upright  heart,  which 
seeks  not  what  is  its  own,  but  what  is  God's,  and  which  looks 
with  a  single  and  unaltered  eye  to  the  will  of  God ;  on  this  will 
alone  its  eye  is  fixed  in  all  things,  both  prosperous  and  adverse, 
and  it  will  look  at  and  know  nothing  else. 

Whereas,  a  corrupt  and  perverted  heart  is  that  which  seeks 


PSALM   V.  235 

its  own,  has  its  eye  only  on  its  own  advantage,  and  always  looks 
two  ways,  pretending  that  it  seeks  the  will  of  God,  whereas  it 
is  all  the  while  seeking  its  own  profit.  This  depravity  and  per- 
suasion lie  so  deeply  hidden  in  the  corruption  of  nature  that 
God  alone  can  discover  it,  as  Jer.  saith,i7:9,  "The  heart  is  de- 
ceitful above  all  things,  and  it  is  exceedingly  corrupt :  who  can 
know  it  ?    I,  Jehovah,  search  the  mind,  I  try  the  heart." 

David  therefore  fearing  he  should  be  led  into  this  depravity, 
prays  in  this  Psalm  'For  the  inheritances',  that  the  way  of  the 
Lord  may  be  made  plain  before  his  face ;  that  he  may  persever- 
ingly  walk,  and  always  live,  in  uprightness  of  heart,  which  can 
only  be  where  pure  and  full  faith  of  heart  exist. 

This  verse  therefore  is  directed  against  the  ungodly  and 
workers  of  iniuqity,  who  leaving  the  true  obedience  of  God  wor- 
ship him  by  their  own  works ;  for  it  opposes  to  such  worship 
the  "righteousness"  of  God  and  the  "way"  of  God,  that  is,  the 
obedience  of  God.  In  this  "way"  David  desires  to  be  led  and 
directed  like  a  tractable  sheep,  on  account  of  his  enemies,  the 
deceivers,  the  crafty  and  the  all-destructive  corrupters  of  the 
inheritances  of  God.  All  this  is  more  especially  practiced  by 
those  deceivers  and  destroyers  in  that  greatest  of  all  works 
which  we  call  worship,  than  which  no  one  work  is  more  ex- 
posed to  ungodly  abuses,  superstitions,  heresies,  hypocrisy,  and 
vanity;  for  the  deepest  iniquity  of  these  corruptors  is  their 
clothing  themselves  in  the  outside  show  of  the  best  intentions 
and  their  puffing  themselves  up,  so  that  caution  against  them 
cannot  be  too  earnestly  inculcated. 

V.  9.  —  For  there  is  no  faithfulness  in  their  mouth,  their 
inward  part  is  very  wickedness ;  their  throat  is  an  open  sepiil 
chre;  they  flatter  zvith  their  tongue. 

The  clauses  of  the  verse  are  divided  thus  in  the  Hebrew, 
but  we  make  of  it  two  verses.  Jerome  translates  the  Hebrew, 
'For  there  is  no  faithfulness  in  their  mouth  :  their  inward  parts 
are  snares :  their  mouth  is  an  open  sepulchre :  they  speak 
lightly  with  their  tongue'.    All  this  is  quite  correct,  except  that 


236  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

it  is  generally  and  more  rightly  considered  that  the  Hebrew 
word  signifies  'vanities'  and  not  "snares",  but  that  is  of  no 
moment. 

It  is  evident  however  that  the  prophet  is  speaking  now  es- 
pecially of  the  doctrine  of  those  whom  he  accuses  first  of  lying, 
then  of  vanity,  then  of  destructiveness,  and  of  deceivableness ; 
for  they  so  teach  this  their  word  of  doctrine,  that  under  the 
appearance  of  being  good  it  is  incurably  destructive.  All  these 
accusations  from  what  has  preceded,  are  plainly  and  manifestly 
just. 

These  lying  teachers,  says  David,  are  all  ready  to  teach  ;  they 
are  all  open  mouthed  and  full  of  words,  but  as  Paul  saith,  i 
Tim.  I  7,  "They  understand  neither  what  they  say,  nor  whereof 
they  confidently  affirm" ;  that  is,  they  neither  understand  their 
ovv^n  words,  nor  that  of  which  they  speak.  Therefore  "there 
is  no  faithfulness  in  their  mouth" ;  though  they  seem  to  teach 
the  truest  and  purest  doctrine.  In  a  word,  "As  Jannes  and 
Jambres  withstood  Moses,  so  do  these  also  resist  the  truth", 
2  Tim.  3  :8 :  they  dare  to  contend  with  all  and  even  to  persecute 
those  whom  they  are  convinced  know  better  than  themselves. 
Hence  we  have  the  declaration.  Job  42 :/,  "For  ye  have  not 
spoken  of  me  the  thing  that  is  right,  as  my  servant  Job  hath." 

The  reason  such  persons  do  not  speak  what  is  right  is,  be- 
cause they  work  iniquity  and  depravity ;  that  is,  in  all  their  doc- 
trine they  aim  only  to  make  man  seek  only  his  own,  and  to 
trust  in  his  own  merits  and  works ;  or  at  least,  they  do  not  take 
this  evil  out  of  the  way,  nor  correct  it,  nor  bring  man  down  to 
nothing  that  he  may  become  a  fool  and  acknowledge  himself 
a  sinner.  Hence  it  comes  to  pass  that,  whereas  God  is  to  be 
worshipped  in  fear,  to  be  served  in  fear,  to  be  rejoiced  before 
with  reverence,  and  to  have  every  work  done  before  him  with 
a  trusting  only  in  the  multitude  of  his  mercy,  they  make  men 
secure  and  presumptuous  dependers  upon  their  own  works. 

This  is  what  those  three  friends  of  Job  did  through  all  their 
contention  with  him.     They  said  nothing  about  the  mercy  of 


PSALM   V.  237 

God,  which  is  what  Job  above  all  things  dwells  upon  and  extols 
in  the  fear  of  his  judgments,  but  disputed  only  about  that  right- 
eousness which  praises  the  good  and  condemns  the  bad.  Hence 
they  are  justly  reproved  of  God  as  not  having  "spoken  the  thing 
that  is  right".  Because  the  real  truth  is  that  no  one  can  be 
found  righteous  before  God  on  account  of  his  works,  however 
many  and  great  they  may  be.  On  the  other  hand  it  is  certain 
that  he  who  trusts  in  God  only  is  righteous,  even  without  works. 
While  he  abides  in  that  trust  and  confidence  he  is  assured  that 
his  works  please  God,  and  that  God  views  him  now  as  neither 
sinning  nor  having  sinned ;  whereas,  it  was  for  such  an  assertion 
as  this  that  Job's  friends  condemned  him  as  a  blasphemer,  con- 
cluding from  the  calamity  that  had  befallen  him  that  he  had 
sinned  and  was  now  under  the  wrath  of  God. 

But  you  will  say,  what  am  I  to  do  when  these  characters 
speak  things  so  excellent  and  so  consistent  and  true,  that  no 
reasonable  argument  can  disprove  them  ?  as  was  the  case  with 
the  friends  of  Job,  and  in  a  word  when  they  bring  forth  out  of 
the  scriptures  the  very  words  of  God  ? 

I  answer,  David  is  here  speaking  especially  concerning  those 
characters  who  adulterate  and  corrupt  the  ^^"ord  of  God.  It 
is  the  covering  of  the  wickedness  of  such  that  he  is  here  laying 
open,  when  he  says,  "Their  inw^ard  parts  are  snares",  or  'vani 
ties'.  As  if  he  had  said,  their  words  are  plausible  and  appar- 
ently holy  and  true,  but  they  are  not  applied  to  a  right  and  true 
purpose,  but  are  made  use  of  to  produce  a  false  understanding. 
Hence  Jeremiah  saith,  5  :i,  "Run  ye  to  and  fro  through  the 
streets  of  Jerusalem,  and  see  now,  and  know,  and  seek  in  the 
broad  places  thereof,  if  ye  can  find  a  man,  if  there  be  any  that 
doth  justly,  that  seeketh  truth;  and  I  will  pardon  her.  And 
though  they  say,  as  Jehovah  liveth ;  surely  they  swear  falsely". 
And  again,  23  128,  "He  that  hath  my  Word,  let  him  speak  my 
Word  faithfully."  What  do  all  these  scriptures  show  and 
prove,  but  that  the  Word  of  God  may  be  spoken  both  truly  and 
vainly  ? 


238  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

These  therefore  are  faithful  and  true  as  to  all  outward  ap- 
pearance indeed,  but  their  inward  parts  are  vain  and  their  heart 
is  vain.  They  do  not  savor  of  that  in  their  heart,  which  their 
words  outwardly  teach ;  though  they  wish  it  to  appear  that  they 
hold  in  their  hearts  that  which  they  teach  with  their  mouths. 
Thus  truth  is  used  by  them  only  as  a  covering  for  lies  and  van- 
ity, and  hence  these  words,  "Their  inward  parts  are  vanities", 
descriptively  set  forth  the  real  nature  of  the  doctrine  of  hypo- 
crites, that  they  pretend  one  thing  outwardly,  but  cherish  and 
foster  another  inwardly,  that  they  pretend  to  godliness,  but 
foster  ungodliness.  This  is  to  be  a  minister  of  Satan  trans- 
formed into  an  angel  of  light,  2  Cor.  1 1  114.  This  is  the  subtlety 
of  the  serpent,  saying  that  the  knowledge  of  gods  may  be  at- 
tained unto,  Gen.  3  15.  This  is  the  religion  of  angels,  of  which 
Paul  speaks.  Col.  2:18. 

Nor  do  they  speak  absurdly  who  render  this  same  Hebrew 
word  HAVOTH,  not  'snares'  only  and  Vanities',  but  also  'per- 
versions', because  such  men  are  in  truth  perverters  of  the  words 
of  God,  as  is  written  in  Jer.  23  136,  "For  ye  have  perverted  the 
words  of  the  living  God".  By  these  perversions  they  become 
vain  in  themselves  and  snares  in  the  way  of  the  truth  and  of 
those  that  seek  it,  according  to  the  words  of  Paul,  2  Tim.  3:13, 
"But  evil  men  and  imposters  shall  wax  worse  and  worse,  de- 
ceiving and  being  deceived". 

This  perversion  of  mind  was  prefigured  in  all  the  idols  of 
old  that  were  either  graven  or  molten,  and  this  Moses  has 
by  no  means  obscurely  intimated,  Ex.  32  :2,  etc.,  where,  when 
he  describes  the  making  of  the  golden  calf,  he  says  'That  Aaron, 
after  he  had  received  the  ear-rings  of  the  women  at  their  hands, 
made  or  melted  them  into  a  calf,  and  fashioned  it  with  a  graving 
tool' ;  in  which  passage,  the  Hebrew  has  'with  a  pen',  intimating 
that  it  should  come  to  pass  that  these  ungodly  teachers  should 
change  the  words  of  God,  which  are  the  ear-rings  of  believing 
souls,  the  true  daughters  of  Israel,  and  their  only  ornament  into 
forms  of  their  own,  so  as  to  make  them  convey  their  own  sen- 


PSALM   V.  239 

timents ;  and  that  the  people  also  should  "heap  to  themselves 
teachers  having  itching  ears"  and  deceitful  rulers,  and  be  turned 
unto  fables,  as  Paul  saith,  2  Tim.  4  •.2,-4.  For  Jeremiah,  writing 
as  it  were  a  comment  on  Moses,  says,  8  :8,  "Behold,  the  false 
pen  of  the  scribes  hath  wrought  falsely" ;  and  chapter  9.*  Is. 
44:12  etc.,  also  gives  us  a  full  and  particular  description  of  the 
formation  of  an  idol.  Ezekiel  16:17,  Jerusalem  is  accused  of 
having  taken  her  ornaments  of  gold  and  silver  which  the  Lord 
had  given  her,  and  made  unto  herself  idols  and  images  of  men 
and  committed  fornication  with  them. 

However  all  these  things  are  but  a  mere  joke  if  we  compare 
them  with  what  has  taken  place  in  our  times,  in  which  nothing 
is  so  much  boasted  of  as  the  worship  of  God  and  the  church 
and  the  house  of  God ;  when  at  the  same  time,  there  are  none 
that  worship  God  less  than  those,  who  by  their  numerous  rites 
and  ceremonies  and  their  newly-invented  works,  have  given 
themselves  up,  some  to  the  sowing  of  discord,  others  to  seeking 
after  glory,  others  to  hunting  after  gain,  and  all  to  seeking  their 
own  profit  and  advantage. 

In  all  these  things  they  use  as  a  pretext  the  Word  of  God, 
when  they  teach  that  we  ought  to  pray,  to  do  good  works,  and 
the  like.  Indeed,  what  evil,  what  enormity,  what  monstrous  sin 
is  not  at  this  day  committed  under  the  cover  of  the  terrible  name 
of  God,  of  St.  Peter,  St.  Paul,  and  the  church?  For,  to  say 
nothing  about  the  rest,  some  of  these  holy  sects  are  religious 
above  all  others,  merely  to  foster  mutual  hatred  and  to  fill  their 
own  bellies ;  and  yet  these  mutter  over  this  and  other  Psalms 
for  the  salvation  of  others  with  a  brow  so  impenetrably  fortified 
with  brass,  that  they  cannot  feel  any  thing  of  the  vehement  zeal 
with  which  the  words  of  the  Psalmist  inveigh  against  those  who 
do  thus  mutter  them  over. 

Their  throat  is  an  open  sepulchre. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  by  these  words  written  in  so  forcible 


*)  St.  Louis  Walch  gives  Jer.  10:3    etc. 


240  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

a  way  David  wishes  to  shew  the  insatiable  voracity  of  these 
characters,  for  not  being  content  with  having  compared  their 
throat  to  a  sepulchre,  which  is  that  which  devours  all  things,  he 
heightens  the  representation  by  adding  the  epithet  "open",  to 
show  their  continual  readiness  to  devour  v/ith  insatiability. 

The  holy  scriptures  iiideed  have  ascribed  to  these  characters, 
above  all  others,  an  insatiable  avarice,  and  a  devouring  of  the 
people.  Hence  Christ  saith,  Luke  20  47,  'They  devour  widows' 
houses,  and  for  a  pretence  make  long  prayers'.  And  Micah  3  :3, 
"Who  also  eat  the  flesh  of  my  people,  and  flay  their  skin  from 
off  them,  and  break  their  bones,  and  chop  them  in  pieces  as  for 
the  pot,  and  as  flesh  within  the  caldron".  Again  directly  after- 
wards, verse  5,  "Thus  saith  Jehovah  concerning  the  prophets 
that  make  my  people  to  err,  that  bite  with  their  teeth,  and  cry, 
peace ;  and  whoso  putteth  not  into  their  mouths,  they  even  pre- 
pare war  against  him".  Again,  Amos  4:1,  "Hear  this  word, 
ye  kine  of  Bashan,  that  are  in  the  mountain  of  Samaria,  that 
oppress  the  poor,  that  crush  the  needy,  that  say  unto  their  lords, 
bring,  and  let  us  drink."  But  Is.  56 :  10-12,  describes  them  much 
more  fully  and  particularly  thus,  "His  watchmen  are  blind,  they 
are  all  without  knowledge;  they  are  all  dumb  dogs,  they  can- 
not bark;  dreaming,  lying  down,  loving  to  slumber.  Yea  tlie 
dogs  are  greedy,  which  can  never  have  enough,  and  these  are 
slieperds  that  cannot  understand ;  they  have  all  turned  to  their 
own  way,  each  one  to  his  gain  from  every  quarter.  Come  ye, 
say  they,  I  will  fetch  wine,  and  we  will  fill  ourselves  with  strong 
drink;  and  to-morrow  shall  be  as  this  day,  a  day  beyond 
measure". 

This  will  need  no  explanation  if  you  look  at  the  leaders  in 
the  church  at  the  present  time  and  those  who  are  considered 
the  teachers  of  the  people.  For  why  is  it  necessary  to  call  atten- 
tion to  the  incredible  avarice,  gluttony,  pomp  and  the  more  than 
worldly  luxury  of  the  bishops  at  Rome  and  all  bishops,  priests 
and  leaders  of  orders,  since  they  do  that  daily  by  their  talk  to 
the  people  and  confirm  the  same  by  deed?    For  where  do  they 


PSALM   V.  241 

not  sing  publicly  of  the  avarice  of  the  clergy  ?  And  this  is  all 
done  under  the  cloak  that  they  are  the  leaders  of  the  people  of 
God.  Does  not  the  prophet  rightly  call  their  throat  an  open 
sepulchre.  For  they  rob  every  one  of  every  thing,  and  yet  they 
are  not  satisfied,  but  are  full  of  greed,  as  to-day  so  to-morrow, 
to  swallow  still  more. 

Offence  is  taken  when  these  things  are  mentioned,  they  are 
revolutionary  and  scandalous  words  to  their  saintly  ears.  But 
they  gave  offense  and  were  revolutionary  when  the  prophets 
spoke  there  to  the  rulers  of  the  synagogues,  so  that  they  were 
shamefully  put  to  death  as  heretics  in  the  church  and  traitors 
in  the  government. 

Isaiah  says  of  them,  5  '.y-^,  "He  looked  for  justice,  but,  behold 
oppression ;  for  righteousness,  but,  behold,  a  cry.  Woe  unto 
them  that  join  house  to  house,  that  lay  field  to  field,  till  there  be 
no  room,  and  ye  be  made  to  dwell  alone  in  the  midst  of  the 
land !  This  is  before  the  ears  of  Jehovah  of  hosts".  Amos  says 
the  same,  6:1-6,  "Woe  to  them  that  are  at  ease  in  Zion,  and 
to  them  that  are  secure  in  the  mountain  of  Samaria,  the  notable 
men  of  the  chief  of  the  nations,  to  whom  the  house  of  Israel 
come !  Pass  ye  unto  Calneh,  and  see ;  and  from  thence  go  ye  to 
Kamath  the  great ;  then  go  down  to  Gath  of  the  Philistines ; 
are  they  better  than  these  kingdoms  ?  or  is  their  border  greater 
than  your  border  ?  Ye  that  put  far  away  the  evil  day,  and  cause 
the  seat  of  violence  to  come  near;  that  lie  upon  beds  of  ivory, 
and  stretch  themselves  upon  their  couches,  and  eat  the  lambs  out 
of  the  flock,  and  the  calves  out  of  the  midst  of  the  stall ;  that 
sing  idle  songs  to  the  sound  of  the  viol ;  that  invent  for  them- 
selves instruments  of  music,  like  David ;  that  drink  wine  in 
bowls,  and  annoint  themselves  with  the  chief  oils ;  but  they  are 
not  grieved  for  the  affliction  of  Joseph". 

But  I  must  be  temperate  and  not  add  more  in  order  that 
I  may  not  be  thought  to  have  sinned  aga-nst  the  holy  spiritual 
canons  and  to  have  stolen  the  patrimony  of  Christ  and  the 
possessions  of  the  church  by  disregarding  the  discipline  of  the 


242  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

church,  and  to  have  insisted  that  these  temporal  possessions  of 
nches  and  lands  are  not  allowed.  For  I  would  not  be  sufficiently 
secure  here  before  the  most  holy  papal  laws  although  all  the 
prophets  and  apostles  stood  with  me. 

It  is  sufficient  that  the  prophet  Amos  esteemed  the  king- 
doms that  surrounded  Israel,  although  they  were  great  and  very 
lich,  less  than  the  riches  of  the  priests  and  the  luxuries  of  the 
elders  of  the  people,  by  which  he  shows  us  what  their  throat  is 
that  the  psalmist  calls  an  open  sepulchre.  At  the  present  day  you 
might  much  better  call  it  the  throat  of  hell  as  Is.  5  114  says,  "hell 
hath  opened  its  mouth  without  measure".  New  devices  are  al- 
ways being  used  to  get  the  little  that  is  yet  among  the  people, 
and  of  it  which  they  can  hardly  live,  since  all  the  rest  is  already 
swallowed  and  the  word  of  Ps.  14:4,  is  fulfilled,  "they  eat  up 
my  people  as  they  eat  bread". 

Since  it  is  evident  therefore  from  these  statements  that  such 
ungodly  teachers  do  not  teach  the  way  of  the  Lord,  nor  seek  any 
thing  else,  even  in  the  things  of  God,  than  their  own  profit,  it 
follows  that  they  seek  much  more  their  own  profit  in  things 
pertaining  unto  this  life.  Hence  it  was  that  Paul  with  so  much 
boldness  and  confidence  dared,  Phil.  3  :2,  to  call  them  dogs,  say- 
ing, "Beware  of  the  dogs,  beware  of  the  evil  workers,  beware 
of  the  concision".  And  in  verse  19,  "Whose  end  is  perdition, 
whose  God  is  the  belly".  In  his  epistle  to  Titus  i  :i2,  he  calls 
them  "liars,  evil  beasts,  idle  gluttons" :  in  both  places  he  is 
speaking  of  seducing  teachers. 

Therefore  David,  detesting  with  a  holy  indignation  the  wick- 
edness of  such,  exposes  their  lusts  by  a  most  filthy  comiparison. 
As  if  he  had  said,  what  do  these  swine,  by  their  ungodly  doc- 
trine whereby  they  destroy  souls,  but  serve  their  own  bellies, 
whilst  by  preaching  this  their  doctrine  they  so  deceive  the  people 
as  to  seize  upon,  collect,  and  increase  an  immense  store  of 
worldly  things  with  unending  and  insatiable  voracity?  In  a 
word,  he  speaks  of  their  "throat"  as  Paul  in  his  epistle  to  Titus 
did  of  their  "belly".    As  if  he  had  said,  ye  are  all  "throat"  and 


PSALM   V.  243 

nothing  else,  and  that  throat  is  Hke  an  "open  sepulchre",  for  ye 
devote  yourselves  to  nothing  else  but  to  devouring  the  substance 
of  men. 

I  would  add  to  this  another  way  in  which  these  words  may 
be  understood,  namely,  that  they  are  called  a  "throat"  which  is 
like  an  "open  sepulchre",  because  they  lead  the  souls  of  those 
men  by  their  impious  word  and  works  into  the  swallowing  jaws 
of  hell ;  and  this  is  the  way  in  which  Augustine  understands  and 
treats  the  passage,  though  it  seems  sotnewhat  remote  from  the 
literal  meaning;  and  I  shall  not  dwell  upon  it  myself  here,  be- 
cause it  is  more  easily  explained  than  the  literal  meaning,  on 
account  of  its  agreement  with  the  succeeding  and  preceding 
context;  but  I  entertain  no  prejudice  against  the  judgment  of 
another  as  to  the  propriety  of  the  spiritual  interpretation. 

Since  therefore  these  teachers  of  the  people  reap  their  tem- 
poral harvest,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Levites,  but  under  the  most 
plausible  cover  and  pretext,  while  they  sow  unto  them  their 
spiritual  things,  as  they  pretend,  there  grows  and  increases  from 
this  their  dominion  an  avarice  and  also  an  ignorance  of  the 
"way"  of  God,  Thus,  instead  of  sowing  spiritual  things,  they 
sow  the  most  impious  doctrines  which  savor  only  of  the  flesh ; 
and  because  these  doctrines  please  the  common  people  more 
than  those  which  are  truly  spiritual  they  are  easily  seduced  and 
their  teachers  in  the  mean  time  reap  their  temporal  fruits,  until 
they  have  swallowed  their  farms  together  with  all  their  sub- 
stance. Thus  the  teachers  for  their  ungodly  labor  obtain  and 
enjoy  the  happiness  of  the  ungodly  in  this  world ;  while  the 
people,  on  account  of  their  ungodly  religion,  are  destroyed  with 
a  double  destruction,  the  destruction  of  both  body  and  soul. 

Nor  is  it  without  its  peculiar  appropriateness  that  David 
compares  the  "throat"  of  these  to  an  "open  sepulchre",  rather 
than  to  any  other  kind  of  voracity?  For  why  does  he  this? 
Perhaps  it  is  because  the  whole  substance  and  possession  of 
those  things  which  are  acquired  by  a  wicked  ministry  and  under 
a  wicked  pretence,  is  of  that  unhappy  nature,  that    it    returns 


244  LUTHEE  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

to  no  g^ood  use  whatever,  but  is  like  dead  bodies  which,  when 
once  buried,  never  return  to  Hfe.  For  David  does  not  say,  their 
throat  is  a  coffer  or  chest,  so  as  to  leave  some  hope  of  that 
coming  into  use  again  which  has  been  put  into  it ;  but  he  says 
"sepulchre",  from  which  there  is  no  hope  of  ever  regaining  that 
which  has  been  once  placed  into  it. 

So  it  is  at  this  day,  for  the  possessions  of  the  church,  espec- 
ially the  greater  ones,  are  of  that  character  and  appropriated  to 
such  use,  that  they  are  made  to  serve  grooms  and  harlots  and 
the  most  infamous  of  mankind,  and  are  left  for  that  purpose  by 
wills  and  successions ;  so  that  the  poor  believers  in  Christ  are 
not  considered  worthy  of  them.  This  is  well  known,  not  only 
by  general  report,  but  by  actual  experience.  Wherefore,  to  de- 
vour substance  and  to  communicate  it  to  none  of  the  faithful 
in  Christ  is  the  peculiar  privilege  and  characteristic  of  the 
"workers  of  iniquity",  namely,  the  martyrs  of  the  devil.  There- 
fore has  come  the  proverb  that  it  is  injurious  to  have  any  con- 
tact with  or  make  any  use  of  the  so  called  spiritual  possessions, 
and  that  they  consume  every  thing  they  touch.  This  some  think 
takes  place,  because  they  are  so  holy  an'^i  are  dedicated  to  uivine 
services,  others  say  because  they  are  deserted  and  like  Jericho 
cursed,  Josh.  6  :26,  wherefore  they  shall  never  be  of  any  service 
with  their  possessions  that  are  for  good  uses,  since  they  have 
robbed  them  of  their  right  use. 

Lastly  we  have,  "They  act  deceitfully  with  their  tongues," 
or  'They  speak  lightly  with  their  tongues,'  as  the  Hebrew  has 
it,  'They  fawn  and  flatter  with  their  tongues.'  This  belongs  to 
that  which  precedes,  for  they  do  not  consider  that  their  duty 
is  to  teach  such  things  as  shall  lead  the  people  to  godliness,  but 
to  tell  such  impious  fables  as  shall  please  them. 

All  their  concern  is  not  to  offend  the  ears  of  the  people  to 
the  end  that  they  may  grow  fat  and  increase  in  wealth.  They 
are  of  those,  whom  Is.  30  :io,  describes  as  saying,  "Speak  unto 
us  smooth  things."  Paul  saith  of  them,  2  Tim.  4 13,  "They 
having  itching  ears,  will  heap  to  themselves  teachers  after  their 


PSALM   V.  245 

own  lusts."  And  Rom.  16:18,  "For  they  that  are  such,  serve 
not  our  Lord  Christ  but  their  own  belly ;  and  by  their  smooth 
words  and  fair  speech  they  beguile  the  hearts  of  the  innocent." 
Such  therefore  speak  not  the  truth  from  fear  of  ignoble  pover- 
ty, but  they  willingly  speak  those  things  which  please  the  peo- 
ple, from  the  hope  of  amassing  wealth,  and  therefore  they  be- 
come ''an  open  sepulchre." 

It  is  at  these  light,  flattering,  or  as  our  translation  has  it, 
"deceitful"  tongues,  that  the  present  verse  strikes,  for  such 
tongues  are  more  destructive  and  pestilential  than  all  the  poi- 
son of  asps.  The  reason  such  characters  act  thus  is  because 
truth  is  unpalatable  and  the  word  of  the  cross  rougher  than 
the  camel's  hair  of  St.  John  the  baptist;  for  he  that  lifts  up 
his  voice  in  the  desert  of  ungodliness  is  not  clad  in  soft  cloth- 
ing. Therefore  a  messenger  of  the  Word  of  God  must  be  poor, 
or  at  least  cannot  long  be  rich. 

Hence  arises  that  excuse  which  is  so  universally  made  at 
this  day,  'That  they  do  not  teach  and  declare  the  truth,  because 
by  their  doing  so  the  ruin  of  the  church  and  of  the  rich  wealth 
of  the  monasteries  of  Christ  would  soon  follow,  and  no  small 
portion  of  dainties  would  be  taken  from  the  throat  and  the 
belly.'  Therefore  that  the  "throat"  may  not  be  robbed  and  that 
the  yawning  "sepulchre"  may  be  kept  open,  there  must  be 
speaking  lightly  with  the  tongue,  there  must  be  flattering  the 
people,  and  conniving  at  their  vices ;  and  if  they  be  of  the 
higher  class  their  vices  must  be  called  virtues,  whatever  they 
say  or  do  or  leave  undone,  must  be  called  unalterably  right,  and 
every  thing  that  is  the  contrary  must  be  condemned  as  heretical 
and  ungodly  and  be  persecuted. 

Proceed  thus  and  your  throat  will  be  safe  and  your  belly 
secure ;  you  will  not  be  excommunicated  nor  deprived  of  your 
benefice.  If  you  will  speak  a  little  more  lightly  still  with  your 
tongue  and  flatter  a  little  more  brazenly  your  throat  will  be 
distended,  the  sepulchre  will  open  wider,  and  your  belly  will 
be  made  to  give  more  room ;  you  will  be  loaded  with  benefices 


246  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

and  donations  and  adorned  with  honors ;  your  sermons  will  be 
looked  upon  as  letters  of  gold,  your  books  will  be  immortalized, 
and  every  place  on  which  you  tread  will  be  considered  a  bed 
of  roses. 

I  believe  it  is  quite  clear  and  manifest  to  every  one,  that 
the  vv'orld  is  at  this  day  filled  wiih  flatterers  of  this  kind,  for 
all  the  religious  persons  have  their  mouth  filled,  and  their  zeal 
fraught  with  flattery  and  levity  of  speech.  Thus  is  fulfilled  that 
which  Ezekiel  saith,  13  riS-ip,  "Woe  to  the  women  that  sew 
pillows  upon  all  elbows  and  make  kerchiefs  for  the  head  of 
persons  of  every  stature,  to  hunt  souls  !  Will  ye  hunt  the  souls 
of  my  people  and  save  souls  alive  for  yourselves?  And 
ye  have  profaned  me  among  my  people  (that  is,  by 
teaching  a  false  opiiiion  of  me  instead  of  the  truth)  for  hand- 
fuls  of  barley  and  for  pieces  of  bread,  to  slay  the  souls  that 
should  not  die,  and  to  save  the  souls  alive  that  should  not  live, 
by  your  lying  to  my  people  that  hearken  unto  your  lies  ?" 

How  beautifully  applicable  is  this  scripture  and  how  it  il- 
lustrates the  words  of  David  before  us,  is  shown  in  what  im- 
mediately follows,  verse  21,  "Your  kerchiefs  will  I  tear  (that 
is,  your  flattering  speeches  and  "cJirastologiai,"  as  the  apostle 
calls  them),  and  deliver  my  people  out  of  your  hand,  and  they 
shall  be  no  more  in  your  hand  to  be  hunted."  Then  follows, 
verse  22,  "Because  with  lies  ye  have  grieved  the  heart  of  the 
righteous,  whom  I  have  not  made  sad  (for  flatterers  must  not 
only  teach  the  ungodly  false  things,  but  must  also  persecute 
the  doctrines  of  the  truly  righteous,  otherwise  their  throat 
would  soon  be  stopped  up),  and  the  hands  of  the  wicked 
strengthened,  that  he  should  not  return  from  his  wicked  way, 
and  be  saved  alive :  therefore  ye  shall  no  more  see  false  visions, 
nor  divine  divinations,  etc." 

It  is  manifest  therefore  that  by  deceitful  tongue  our  trans- 
lator understood  flattering  and  fawning  tongue,  that  is  a  tongue 
that  will  teach  the  ungodly  for  the  sake  of  those  worldly  ad- 
vantages.    Therefore  no  faithfulness  is  in  their  mouths,  their 


PSALM  V.  247 

inward  parts  are  vain,  perverse,  and  deceitful.     Such  then  is 
the  meaning  of  this  verse. 

I  am  incHned  to  be  displeased  with  myself  for  having  been 
so  diffuse  and  prolix  and  for  having  used  so  many  words  in 
my  endeavor  to  explain  the  meaning  of  so  short  a  sentence  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  But  when  I  consider  that  I  am  not  writing  for 
the  learned,  the  acute,  and  the  skilful,  but  for  the  simple  and 
the  inexperienced  and  particularly  for  those  who  are  in  the 
ministry  also,  I  seem  to  myself  to  have  been  even  now  too  brief 
and  sparing ;  and  especially  as  these  are  some  of  those  things 
that  are  essentially  necessary  to  be  known  and  that  have  been 
buried  throughout  the  world  under  superstitions  and  idolatries 
and  have  now  for  a  long  time  and  by  long  habit  been  driven  out 
of  the  hearts  of  men.  This  makes  it  in  my  opinion  highly  ne- 
cessary that  they  should  be  sounded  forth  with  the  continual 
thunder  of  voices,  that  the  sleeping  may  be  roused  and  awak- 
ened. Let  the  delicate  reader  therefore  either  know  that  these 
things  are  not  written  for  him,  or  let  him  remember  that  his 
duty  is  to  exercise  patience  for  the  benefit  of  the  weak  and  in- 
experienced ;  and  let  him  leave  me,  after  the  manner  of  the 
patriarch  Jacob  of  old.  Gen.  33  :i  etc.,  to  follow  on  softly  with 
the  children,  the  flocks  of  sheep,  and  the  heards  of  oxen,  as  I 
see  they  shall  be  able  to  bear  it,  lest,  if  I  should  outdrive  them 
one  day,  all  the  flock  should  die. 

V.  10.    Hold  them  guilty  (judge  tJieni),  O  God,  let  them 
fall  by  their  own  counsels;  thrust  (cast)  them  out  in  the  mul 
titude  of  their  transgressions,  for  they  have  rebelled  against  thee 
{provoked  thee  to  anger,  O  Lord). 

The  first  part  of  this  verse  is  attached  by  us  to  the  verse 
preceding,  but  this  improves  the  sense  but  little.  The  prophet 
having  hitherto  described  and  condemned  all  ungodly  hypocrites 
and  "workers  of  iniquity,"  now  prays  that  such  may  be  marked 
by  the  judgment  of  God;  because  they  are  excused,  approved, 
and  defended  by  the  judgment  of  men,  and  considered  to  be 
just  and  true,  and  that  their  name  and  reputation  as  such  can- 


248  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

not  be  taken  away  from  them.  As  if  he  had  said  with  Jere- 
miah, 5:30-31,  "A  wonderful  and  horrible  thing  is  come  to 
pass  in  the  land :  the  prophets  prophesy  falsely,  and  the  priests 
bear  rule  by  their  means ;  and  my  people  love  to  have  it  so : 
and  what  will  ye  do  in  the  end  thereof?"  For  who  can  resist 
those  who  are  defended  by  the  voice  of  the  common  people  and 
by  the  great?  Yet  thus  in  truth  are  the  ungodly  workers  of 
iniquity  armed  against  one  poor  preacher  of  the  truth !  Such 
a  preacher  therefore  must  of  necessity  make  many  open  declar- 
ations that  shall  be  deemed  scandalous  and  seditious,  that  shall 
give  offence  to  the  ears  of  these  righteous  ones,  and  that  shall 
be  judged  by  the  people  to  be  erroneous  and  heretical.  What 
can  he  do  in  the  meantime?  Nothing  but  call  upon  God  for 
his  judgment,  committing  his  cause  into  his  hands. 

The  Hebrew  word,  which  is  rendered  "judge  them,"  Je- 
rome translates  'condemn  them.'  The  word  signifies  properly 
that  judgment  by  which  men  are  made  manifest,  their  ungod- 
liness being  laid  open  to  view.  In  this  sense  Paul  also  saith,  2 
Tim.  3  :g,  "But  they  shall  proceed  no  further :  for  their  folly 
shall  be  evident  unto  all  men,  as  theirs  also  came  to  be."  It 
is  therefore  as  if  David  had  said,  grant  that,  as  they  have  lately 
been  approved,  loved,  and  boasted  of  by  all,  so  their  folly  may 
be  now  made  manifest  and  they  themselves  hated,  cast  out,  and 
detested  by  all,  that  every  person  may  see  that  they  have  ap- 
proved of  that  which  thou  hast  condemned.  For  I  have  seen 
and  still  do  see  it  happens  to  all  heretics  that  they  first  of  all 
please  men,  but  afterwards  their  bones  are  scattered,  Ps.  53  :5, 
and  they  are  put  to  shame,  because  God  hath  rejected  them. 
Their  glorying  and  boasting  and  their  applause  and  pomp  are 
therefore  in  the  meantime  to  be  borne  with.  Hence  we  hear  Je- 
remiah say,  20  7-9,  "I  am  become  a  laughing-stock  all  the  day, 
every  one  mocketh  me.  For  as  often  as  I  speak,  I  cry  out :  I 
cry,  violence  and  destruction;  because  the  word  of  Jehovah 
is  made  a  reproach  unto  me,  and  a  derision." 

These  words  of  David  therefore  do  not  only  refer  to  the 


PSALM   V.  249 

last  judgment,  but  are  a  prayer  that  the  truth  may  triumph 
through  the  judgment  of  God,  which  such  characters  oppress 
through  the  judgment  of  men.  Do  thou,  O  Lord,  says  David, 
rise  up  and  judge,  for  men  do  not  judge  rightly. 

"Let  them  fall  from  their  own  thoughts."  Thoughts  here 
is  of  the  same  signification  as  "counsel  of  the  ungodly"  in  Ps. 
1:1,  and  rendered  from  the  same  original  word.  Wherefore 
it  does  not  mean  simply  "thoughts,"  but  as  we  fully  showed  in 
the  first  Psalm,  ungodly  opinions,  sentiments,  ideas,  disputa- 
tions, human  reasoning  concerning  God  and  divine  things,  and 
also  human  inventions  delivered  to  others  as  true  doctrines. 
Hence  there  is  a  peculiar  force  lying  in  each  word,  both  in 
"thoughts"  and  "own."  These  are  their  "own"  thoughts  in- 
deed, and  not  God's,  according  to  Is.  55  18-9,  "For  my  thoughts 
are  not  your  thoughts,  neither  are  your  ways  my  ways,  saitli 
the  Lord.  For  as  the  heavens  are  higher  than  the  earth,  so 
are  my  ways  higher  than  your  ways,  and  my  thoughts  than 
your  thoughts." 

And  what  does  the  prophet  show  by  these  words,  but  that 
the  thoughts  of  men,  however  holy  they  may  appear,  are  but 
earthly,  vain,  and  lying;  according  to  Ps.  94:11,  "Jehovah 
knoweth  the  thoughts  of  man  that  they  are  vanity." 

Hence  David  calls  them  "thoughts"  by  way  of  expressive 
force,  intimating  that  they  are  vague,  unstable  motions  of  the 
mind,  for  that  is  the  nature  of  a  mere  thought,  though  they 
are  considered  to  be  decrees  more  stable  and  durable  than  the 
rock  by  the  sea-shore.  Hence  the  apostle  admonishes  the  He- 
brews, 13  :9,  "Be  not  carried  away  by  divers  and  strange  doc- 
trines." In  Eph.  4:14,  he  exhorts  not  to  be  "tossed  to  and  fro 
and  carried  about  with  every  wind  of  doctrine."  What  these 
wandering  flies  of  doctrine  are,  is  fully  set  forth  in  the  plague 
of  Egypt.  Therefore  Christ  said.  Matt.  1 1  7,  that  the  doctrine 
of  John  was  not  like  "a  reed  shaken  with  the  wind ;"  for  the 
doctrine  of  our  faith  is  a  firm  key-stone,  a  mountain,  a  rock 
that  laughs  both  at  the  winds  and  the  waves  of  the  whole  sea, 


250  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

and  it  will  do  so  for  ever,  because  the  righteousness  of  God 
is  for  ever  and  ever. 

But  what  means  this  praying  of  David  that  not  their 
thoughts  only,  but  the  persons  themselves  should  fall?  Au- 
gustine thinks  that  this  verse  contains  the  words  of  one  prophe- 
sying, and  not  praying;  or  that  if  they  are  a  prayer,  they  pray 
that  these  persons  may  fall  saved  and  be  changed  to  sound 
thoughts  concerning  God ;  and  his  interpretation  is  good  and 
admissible.  But  the  figure  of  speech  here  used  still  induces  me 
to  consider  the  meaning  to  be  like  that  of  Ps.  81  :6,  "I  removed 
his  shoulder  from  the  burden."  Because  in  the  world,  where 
the  powers  of  darkness  still  rule,  it  is  in  vain  for  any  one  to 
try  to  prevent  the  existence  of  ungodly  doctrines  and  thoughts, 
for  it  must  be  that  oflfences  come.  But  our  care  is  to  be  that 
we  turn  away  from  such  doctrines  and  thoughts  themselves,  as 
being  those  which  closely  cleave  unto  us  and  therefore  will 
never  fall  from  us  of  their  own  accord,  but  will  be  continually 
rushing  on  us  and  most  obstinately  assaulting  us. 

If  these  things  be  so  it  appears  therefore  that  those  who 
wish  to  have  no  errors  and  heresies  left  and  no  impieties  to 
exist,  only  attempt  the  burning  of  all  heretics,  and  remain  in 
the  end  free  heretics  themselves.  For  I  consider  that  it  is  a 
conflict  and  not  a  state  of  ease,  that  is  intimated  by  the  verse 
in  question,  a  conflict  against  the  thoughts  of  men,  for  he  does 
not  pray  that  the  thoughts  might  fall  from  the  men,  but  the 
men  from  the  thoughts.  Because  the  human  heart  and  its  own 
thoughts  or  its  own  counsel  are  so  inseparably  and,  as  it  were, 
adulterously  connected  together  and  in  love  with  each  other, 
that  to  separate  them  nothing  less  than  the  great  and  divine 
power  and  operation  of  the  grace  of  God  are  required. 

David  wished  rather  to  say  "fall  from"  than  'turn  from,' 
because  he  wishes  such  persons  to  come  down  from  pride  to 
humility,  for  "thoughts"  puff  up  to  that  height,  that  such  men 
cannot  acknowledge  themselves  sinners,  nor  be  humbled  to  the 
grace  of  God. 


PSALM   V.  251 

However  he  that  would  understand  the  passage  rather  as 
a  prophecy,  which  is  the  sense  that  I  prefer,  may  easily  satisfy 
himself  with  the  propriety  of  such  an  interpretation,  namely, 
that  the  ungodly  fall  from  their  thoughts  when  their  confidence 
in  them  fails  and  they  cannot  establish  them.  An  example  of 
this  we  have  in  the  building  of  the  tower  of  Babel,  for  there 
the  attempt,  the  labors,  the  work,  and  the  end  of  all  ungodly 
teachers  are  most  beautifully  represented,  v/hich,  when  those 
impious  ones  had  begiui,  they  were,  not  able  to  finish.  This 
Christ  has  also  set  forth,  Luke  14  :28,  in  the  parable  concerning 
the  man  beginning  to  build  a  tower.  In  the  same  way  also 
Ps.  21  :ii,  "They  conceived  a  device,  which  they  are  not  able  to 
perform." 

Such  therefore  "fall  from  their  thoughts"  when  they  perish 
in  the  execution  of  them  and  leave  a  monument  and  example 
behind  them  that  all  might  see  v/hat  they  imagined  and  at- 
tempted, and  how  they  failed  of  accomplishing  their  purposes. 
In  this  way  it  was  that  the  Arians  fell  and  left  their  memory 
and  their  thoughts  which  they  could  not  accomplish,  a  subject 
of  derision  and  a  fable  in  the  mouths  of  all.  It  is  such  a  judg- 
ment as  this  that  the  prophet  here  predicts,  and  prays  that  it 
might  fall  upon  all  ungodly  teachers  and  performers  of  "their 
own  thoughts,"  that  they  may  not  be  able  to  accomplish  that 
which  they  imagine  against  true  godliness.  This  takes  place 
in  the  execution  of  it  when  they  are  judged  of  God,  as  David 
says,  for  as  long  as  they  are  judged  of  men,  they  increase  and 
prosper  in  their  thoughts. 

Why  did  he  not  simply  say  "Thrust  them  out?"  Why  did 
he  add  "in  the  multitude  of  their  iniquities?"  Moreover  the 
verb  'Thrust  out'  signifies,  according  to  the  original  Hebrew 
word,  'a  dispersing;'  in  the  same  way  as  the  builders  of  the 
tower  of  Babel  were  scattered  abroad  thence  upon  the  face  of 
all  the  earth,  and  abandoned  the  building  of  the  city.  Gen.  1 1 :8. 
In  the  same  way  the  blessed  virgin  saith,  Luke  i  :5i,  "He  hath 
scattered  the  proud  in  the  imagination  of  their  hearts."    This 


252  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

scattering  Samson  prefigured  by  his  foxes,  Judges  15:4,  and 
the  same  is  represented  by  the  scripture,  "A  kingdom  divided 
against  itself  is  brought  to  desolation,"  Matt.  12:25. 

For  no  heretics  have  ever  been  conquered  by  force  or  craft, 
but  by  dissension  among  themselves  only;  nor  did  Christ  con- 
tend with  them  in  any  other  way  than  by  sending  among  them 
the  spirit  of  confusion  and  dissension.  Such  a  spirit  as  this 
was  sent  among  the  Shechemites,  Judges  9  :2t,,  and  among  the 
builders  of  the  tower  of  Babel ;  and  under  the  New  Testament, 
among  the  Arians,  Donatists,  and  Pelagians,  And  indeed  the 
Jews  perished  by  their  final  destruction  through  dissension. 
Hence  the  holy  man  Hilary,  in  his  book  upon  the  Trinity,  glo- 
ries in  declaring  'that  the  war  of  the  heretics  is  the  peace  of 
the  church ;'  for  upon  their  dissension  is  sure  to  follow  their 
dispersion. 

This  Christ  also  refers  to,  when  in  describing  "the  strong 
n-;an  armed"  who  is  to  be  despoiled  of  his  armor  by  a  stronger, 
he  says  that  his  armor  in  which  he  trusted  is  to  be  "divided" 
and  dispersed.  So  Hosea,  10:1-2,  comparing  iniquity  to  a 
multitude,  says  that  they  are  to  be  dispersed  by  division.  "Is- 
rael is  a  luxuriant  vine,  that  putteth  forth  his  fruit :  according 
to  the  abundance  of  his  fruit  he  hath  multiplied  his  altars : 
according  to  the  goodness  of  their  land  they  have  made  goodly 
pillars.  Their  heart  is  divided ;  now  shall  they  be  found  guilty  : 
he  will  smite  their  altars,  he  will  destroy  their  pillars ;"  which 
words  beautifully  explain  this  present  verse  of  David.  For 
what  does  this  increasing  of  altars  and  multiplying  of  images, 
according  to  the  goodness  of  their  land,  mean,  but  that  Israel 
multiplied  into  many  states  and  cities  and  erected  unto  them- 
selves as  many  altars  ?  As  we  read,  Jer.  2  •.28,  "For  according 
to  the  number  of  thy  cities  are  thy  gods,  O  Judah."  Upon 
this  division  soon  followed  their  dispersion,  while  each  city 
or  division  watched  and  wished  for  the  ruin  of  the  other  that 
his  own  might  stand. 

The  meaning  of  David  therefore  is,  'They  are  ungodly  in 


PSALM   V.  253 

irany  ways,  they  invent  many  superstitions  and  practice  various 
kinds  of  idolatry ;  they  are  also  divided  among  themselves  like 
the  sadducees  and  pharisees  of  old  and  like  their  imitators  and 
followers  in  our  day.  According  therefore  to  this  multitude 
of  their  iniquities,  do  thou,  O  Lord,  thrust  them  out,  that  their 
ungodliness  may  be  brought  to  naught  by  the  strength  of  their 
concord  being  broken.' 

If  then  these  things  be  true  and  will  take  place  according 
to  David's  prayer,  there  appears  to  be  a  great  persecution,  de- 
vastation, and  scattering  hanging  over  the  present  state  of  the 
church,  which  being  divided  into  so  many  sects,  and  the  mem- 
bers all  seeming  to  fight  against  each  other,  threatens  a  terrible 
shaking  and  an  awful  destruction ;  for  there  are  not  only  now 
as  many  altars  as  there  are  cities,  but  almost  as  many  as  there 
are  heads,  so  wholly  has  brotherly  love  gone  to  ruin  ;  and  there- 
fore it  must  of  necessity  follow,  that  whatever  exists  without 
that  is  idolatry,  for  it  does  not  seek  that  which  is  God's.  Hence 
all  the  specious  lives  and  conversations  of  all  our  priests  and 
religious  people,  being  destitute  of,  and  disregarding  this  love, 
for  such  is  the  present  state  of  the  church,  may  be  rightly 
called  a  multitude  of  iniquities ;  and  thus  we  are  divided  and 
scattered  more  and  more  daily,  each  one  according  to  Is.  53  :6, 
turning  "to  his  own  way ;"  all  this,  as  I  have  before  observed, 
was  beautifully  prefigured  by  the  foxes  of  Samson,  Judges  15  4, 
which  had  their  faces  turned  from  each  other,  and  fire-brands 
tied  to  their  tails ! 

"For  they  have  provoked  thee  to  anger."  This  in  the  He- 
brew is  'they  have  embittered  thee.'  As  I  have  observed, 
above  all  other  sins  that  are  committed,  this  kindles  God's 
wrath  the  most,  when  men  omit  that  which  is  commanded 
and  do  something  else  which  they  think  is  better  and  which 
is  not  commanded  at  all.  This  is  that  aven,  that  disobedience 
itself,  and  that  idolatry  and  working  of  iniquity.  Hence  the 
prophet  says  of  them  that  they  "provoked  God  to  anger"  and 
made  him  bitter.    Other  prophets  do  the  same,  where  they  call 


254  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

the  house  of  Israel  the  one  that  makes  God  bitter,  provokes 
him  to  anger,  irritates  him,  and  kindles  his  wrath,  etc. 

We  particularly  observe  that  the  word  "iniquities"  in  this 
verse  is  in  the  original  a  word  different  from  all  those  pre- 
ceding. For  it  is  not  aven  nor  rescha,  but  pescha,  that  we 
here  find  in  the  Hebrew;  which  is  a  general  noun  that  signi- 
fies all  transgression,  as  in  Is.  i  :2,  "I  have  nourished  children, 
and  they  have  rebelled  against  me,"  that  is,  they  have  sinned 
against  me  or  they  have  despised  me  by  their  transgressions. 
Hence  Jerome  translates  this  clause  "according  to  the  multi- 
tude of  their  wickedness ;"  and  what  these  transgressions  are 
in  their  nature  and  character,  he  has  enumerated  above  where 
he  said,  "Thou  art  not  a  God  that  hath  pleasure  in  wickedness." 
For  David  designs  by  all  these  things  to  show  that  these  char- 
acters sinned,  transgressed,  and  prevaricated  in  many  ways, 
and  so  as  to  provoke  God  to  anger,  even  while  they  thought 
they  were  pleasing  him.  Hence  by  saying  'the  multitude  of 
their  iniquities,'  he  does  not  only  mean  that  they  were  di- 
vided, as  we  have  observed,  into  many  and  various  sects,  but 
also  that  every  separate  one  of  those  sects  sinned  in  many 
ways,  which  ways  we  have  described  under  our  foregoing 
seven  heads. 

V.  II.  But  let  all  those  that  take  refuge  {hope)  in  thee 
rejoice,  let  them  ever  shout  for  joy,  because  thou  defendest 
them :  Let  them  also  that  love  thy  name  be  ioyful  in  thee. 
{they  shall  shout  for  joy  and  thou  shalt  du'ell  in  them.  And 
they  that  love  thy  name  shall  glory  in  thee.) 

All  this  is  one  verse  in  the  Hebrew,  and  Jerome  translates 
it,  "And  let  all  who  hope  in  thee  rejoice,  they  shall  praise  for 
ever ;  thou  shalt  defend  them ;  and  they  that  love  thy  name  shall 
be  joyful  in  thee."  In  this  last  clause  our  translator  has  put 
"shall  glory"  for  "shall  be  joyful."  But  others  again  vary 
wonderfully  in  rendering  these  words  which  contain  so  many 
feelings  and  aft'ections,  so  that  we  cannot  harmonize  all  their 


PSALM   V.  255 

variations  without  going  to  the  original  Hebrew,  the  fountain 
head. 

We  here  find  four  words  put  together  to  convey  a  fulness 
of  expression,  'To  rejoice,'  'to  hope,'  'to  shout  for  joy,'  and 
'to  glory.'  But  the  expression  "shall  dwell  in  them"  indicates 
the  affection  of  hope.  How  then  do  they  differ  ?  This  is  diffi- 
cult to  be  investigated  and  learned,  because  these  affections 
are  of  a  high  and  sublime  nature  and  can  neither  be  taught 
nor  understood  but  by  those  who  have  experienced  them. 

This  one  thing  however  is  certain,  according  to  the  tenor 
and  scope  of  the  whole  Psalm,  namely,  that  David  is  speaking 
of  that  joy  and  quiet  safety  of  heart,  which  arise  from,  and 
stand,  not  in  the  removal  of  external  evils,  for  that  is  where 
patience  more  properly  reigns,  but  in  the  remission  of  sins  and 
impurity  and  good  assurance  of  conscience  where  hope  reigns. 
For  the  object  and  intent  of  the  Psalmist  is  to  show  in  what 
way  men  may  become  righteous  and  godly,  namely  by  the 
mercy  and  through  the  fear  of  God  and  not  by  works  of  in- 
iquity. All  men  seek  to  be  glad  and  to  rejoice,  but  all  do  not 
seek  rightly,  and  therefore  they  find  not  that  for  which  they 
seek. 

Hence  we  will  divide  this  verse  into  two,  that  it  may  as 
it  were  be  a  repetition,  and  that  "And  let  all  those  that  hope 
in  thee  rejoice:  they  shall  shout  for  joy  for  ever,  and  shall 
dwell  therein"  may  be  the  same  as,  "And  they  also  that  love 
thy  name,  shall  glory  in  thee". 

For  the  Psalmist  seems  to  contrast  these  affections  of  joy 
to  the  POELE  AVEN,  that  is,  the  "workers  of  iniquity",  or  as  it  is 
very  frequently  translated  'the  workers  of  pain';  because  as 
I  have  observed,  this  idolatry  and  outward  show  of  works  is 
the  labor  of  fools,  which  afflicts  them  and  kills  them  with 
sorrow  and  never  suffers  them  to  know  real  joy  of  heart;  as 
they  themselves  say,  Mai.  3:14,  "And  what  profit  is  it  that  we 
have  walked  mournfully  before  Jehovah  of  hosts?"  Is.  58:3, 
"Wherefore  have  we  fasted,  and  thou  seest  not?     Wherefore 


256  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

have  we  afflicted  our  soul,  and  thou  takest  no  knowledge?" 
The  remaining  part  of  the  chapter  and  also  that  which  follows 
abundantly  set  forth  this  misery. 

Dost  thou  desire  to  know  then,  where  true  joy  of  heart  is 
to  be  found  and  in  what  it  consists?  David  says,  "Let  all 
those  that  hope  in  thee  rejoice".  This  truth  therefore  re- 
mains firm  and  this  definition  sure,  that  the  heart  of  man  can- 
not rejoice  in  works,  nor  in  any  thing  else  but  in  a  pure  hope ; 
he  therefore  that  seeks  to  rejoice  in  any  other  way  besides 
this  hope,  will  toil  much  and  will  find  all  his  labor  in  vain 
at  last !  For,  as  it  happened  to  the  woman  with  a  bloody  issue, 
mentioned  in  the  Gospel,  that  she  spent  all  her  substance  upon 
physicians  and  only  grew  worse ;  so  it  happens  to  all  who, 
under  perturbations  of  conscience,  run  about  to  this  place  and 
that,  consult  now  this  person  and  now  that,  now  doing  this 
and  now  that,  and  trying  all  ways  to  obtain  rest  for  the  heart ; 
but  they  seek  not  after  this  hope,  which  alone  can  bring  them 
the  quiet  they  seek.  And  in  this  soul  killing  work  are  all  those 
lying  teachers  engaged,  who  impiously  teach  their  works,  satis- 
factions, indulgences,  and  pilgrimages,  and  who  administer 
their  false  consolations,  and,  by  other  works  of  darkness  like 
these,  deceive  mankind ;  the  number  of  these  in  the  present  day 
is  out  of  one's  power  to  count. 

CONCERNING  HOPE  AND  SUFFERINGS. 

Since  this  'hope'  is  so  often  taught  throughout  the  Psalms 
let  us  make  a  more  extensive  and  full  digression  than  usual, 
that  we  may  consider  once  for  all  the  force  and  nature  of  this 
term  'hope' ;  for  these  things  are  very  necessary  to  be  known  by 
trembling,  weak,  and  simple  consciences. 

Just  as  impatience,  dejection,  and  confusion  do  not  properly 
and  primarily  proceed  from  the  multitude  or  magnitude  of  the 
afflictions,  adversities,  or  evils,  of  whatever  kind  they  may 
be,  but  rather  from  the  feelings  of  the  person  who  is  alarmed 
at  them  and  who  is  in  an  unwise  way  thirsting  after  the  con- 
trary, prosperity,  happiness,  and  honor;  so,  despair,  spiritual 


PSALM   V.  257 

dejection,  and  the  confusion  of  a  restless  conscience  do  not 
properly  and  primarily  arise  from  the  multitude  or  magnitude 
of  sins,  but  rather  from  the  feelings  of  the  person  who  is 
alarmed  at  them  and  who  is  in  an  unwise  way  seeking  after  an 
abundance  of  good  works  and  righteousness  and  salvation. 

The  first  part  of  my  observation  is  clear ;  for  David  here 
says,  "Let  all  those  that  hope  in  thee  rejoice".  If  then,  he  says, 
"all"  shall  rejoice  in  the  Lord  who  hope  in  him  he  does  not 
permit  us  to  understand  that  any  are  excepted,  not  even  those 
who  are  in  tribulation ;  nay,  it  is  concerning  such  that  he  more 
particularly  speaks,  when  he  says  that  such  hope  in  the  Lord 
while  they  are  afflicted  in  themselves  and  by  men.  These  are 
the  faithful  in  Christ,  in  whom,  as  the  sufferings  of  Christ 
abound,  so  do  the  consolations  of  Christ  abound  also,  as  the 
apostle  saith,  2  Cor.  1 15.  For  they  know  where  and  in  whom 
they  ought  to  rejoice  and  to  glory,  namely,  in  the  Lord.  There- 
fore through  this  their  wisdom  they  are  not  cast  down,  they  are 
not  confounded,  they  are  not  impatient,  because  they  do  not  aim 
at  things  prosperous,  things  pleasant,  nor  things  honorable. 
Hence  they  pass  through  a  tranquil  medium  between  good  and 
evil  as  it  is  written,  'Nothing  that  happeneth  to  the  just  shall 
disturb  him'.  And  in  Prov.  28:1,  it  is  said,  "The  wicked  flee 
when  no  man  pursueth,  but  the  righteous  are  bold  as  a  lion". 

But  they  who  are  ignorant  and  unwise  and  will  not  under- 
stand that  rejoicing  and  glorying  is  to  be  in  God  alone,  what 
else  do  such,  than  become  dejected,  confounded,  and  impatient? 
and  that,  not  because  adverse  or  afflicting  circumstances  come 
upon  them,  but  because  when  these  come  upon  them  they  do  not 
turn  unto  God  which  proceeds  from  their  foolish  feelings,  but 
look  anxiously  after  the  prosperous  and  pleasant  things  which 
they  have  lost.  Thus  they  flee  but  cannot  flee  away  nor  escape, 
because  they  know  not  whither  to  flee.  Hence  the  whole  cause 
of  every  one's  sorrow  is  the  unwisely  anxious  search  after  joy 
and  honor;  for  if  men  were  not  glued  to  these  things,  adver 
sities  would  cause  them  no  uneasiness,  according  to  the  trite 


258  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

proverb,  'The  world  is  ruled  by  opinions :  and  such  as  each 
man's  opinion  of  his  condition  is,  such  is  his  condition'.  Hence 
contempt  can  neither  profit  nor  injure  any  one,  but  when  it  is 
regarded  then  it  profits  or  hurts,  and  then  only. 

The  second  part  also  is  equally  certain ;  because,  many  and 
great  sinners  have  been  saved.  The  very  persons  who  David 
here  says  rejoice  in  the  Lord,  would  say  with  Job,  9  13,  "We 
could  not  answer  him  one  of  a  thousand",  and  hereby  they 
acknowledge  both  the  multitude  and  magnitude  of  their  sins. 
Herein  God  shows  that  the  cause  of  despair  is  not  the  multi- 
tude or  magnitude  of  the  sins  but  the  wrong  affection  in  those 
who  seek  after  good  works  in  the  time  of  their  trouble  of  con- 
science, in  order  to  set  these  against  their  sins  as  a  counter- 
balance and  satisfaction.  For  such  imagine  by  this  their  de- 
praved opinion  that  their  sins  have  been  and  can  be,  overcome 
by  such  works ;  and  therefore  not  being  able  to  gain  the  victory 
for  which  they  labor  and  not  knowing  that  they  ought  to  turn 
to  the  mercy  of  God,  desperation  of  necessity  follows ;  for  he 
must  necessarily  become  impatient,  who  neglecting  all  regard  of 
God  attempts  to  put  good  for  evil  and  cannot  succeed,  because 
no  works  whatever  can  make  satisfaction  for  one  sin  even 
though  it  be  a  venial  sin. 

In  the  same  way  the  conscience  of  an  ungodly  man  at  the 
point  of  death  and  drawing  near  to  the  judgment  of  God  dis- 
putes with  itself  thus :  O  miserable  man  that  I  am !  O  if 
I  had  but  now  done  many  good  things !  O  if  I  had  but  never 
done  any  evil !  If  I  had  but  remained  pure !  And  these  words 
full  of  folly  and  iniquity  most  eminently  prove  that  the  saying 
of  Augustine  is  true,  'The  unhappy  change  overtakes  the  un- 
godly man  that  when  living  he  forgets  God,  and  when  dying  he 
forgets  himself.  Hence  such  an  one  seeks  the  good  and  hates 
the  evil,  and  3'et  does  not  feel  that  he  never  did  so  much  evil, 
nor  less  sought  good  than  in  this  ver}'  hour,  when  he  says  these 
things  and  acts  thus  unwisely.  For  he  proves  that  he  does  not 
hope  in  God,  but  presumes  upon  his  own  works,  while  he  thus 


PSALM  V.  259 

looks  back  upon  his  past  works  and  presumes;  whereas,  these 
are  not  things  upon  which  he  has  any  right  to  presume.  If  he 
imagines  that  he  can  hope  in  God  on  account  of  his  works,  in 
which  case  he  dreams  that  he  shall  hope  in  God  more  con- 
fidently and  more  joyfully,  if  he  can  but  see  before  him  plenty 
good  works,  it  is  plainly  manifest  that  he  hopes  more  in  his 
own  works  than  in  God,  than  which  nothing  is  more  horrible  or 
more  impious ! 

Whereas  the  righteous  even  though  they  sin  despair  not. 
Because  as  among  temporal  evils,  that  is,  the  sufferings  of 
this  life,  good  things  are  intermingled ;  so  it  is  also  with  respect 
to  spiritual  evils,  namely,  sins ;  for  spiritual  good  things  are  in- 
termingled with  them  also.  These  righteous  persons  therefore 
neither  presume  upon  spiritual  blessings  when  they  live  in  the 
enjoyment  of  them,  nor  despair  when  they  sin,  for  they  know 
that  they  ought  neither  to  be  elated  by  the  one  nor  cast  down 
by  the  other,  because  they  feel  that  the  one  state  proceeds  from 
God's  gifts  being  bestowed  upon  them,  and  the  other  from  their 
being  taken  away;  and  whichever  of  these  takes  place,  they 
still  remain  cleaving  close  to  the  giver  himself. 

This  is  taught  in  Prov.  24:16,  "For  a  righteous  man  falleth 
seven  times,  and  riseth  up  again :  but  the  wicked  are  over- 
thrown by  calamity" :  that  is,  they  rise  not  again  but  fall  into 
despair.  If  thou  hopest  and  canst  hope  only  when  thou  doest 
good,  thou  wilt  certainly  despair  when  thou  doest  evil.  Take 
heed  therefore  lest  that  of  Ps.  49  :i9,  "He  v/ill  praise  thee  when 
thou  doest  well  unto  him",  and  that  of  Luke  8:13,  "And  in 
time  of  temptation  fall  away",  be  applicable  unto  thee;  take 
heed  that  thou  add  not  iniquity  unto  iniquity  and  blasphemy 
unto  disobedience. 

Hence  it  is  greatly  to  be  feared  lest  a  twofold  evil  should 
befall  these  ungodly.  First,  when  they  find  all  things  going 
prosperously  and  gloriously  with  them,  they  should  imagine 
they  are  rejoicing  and  glorying  in  God,  when  in  truth  they 
are  not  trusting  in  God,  but  in  his  gifts,  that  is,  in  their  pros- 


260  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

parity,  as  temptation  will  in  the  end  prove.  And  next,  lest, 
when  they  are  looked  upon  by  all  as  living  a  holy  and  religious 
life,  especially  in  this  our  most  perilous  day,  which  is  so  much 
devoted  to  the  observance  of  the  outward  show  and  bug-bears 
of  works,  they  should  imagine  that  they  are  hoping  most  firmly 
in  God,  when  they  are  all  the  while  ignorantly  hoping  in  their 
own  sanctity,  as  the  hour  of  death  will  prove.  For  when  such 
are  drawing  near  to  judgment  and  are  dying  in  full  confidence 
under  a  self-persuasion  of  their  good  life  which  is  the  ground  of 
their  confidence  in  God,  the  destruction  of  all  good  hope,  it 
will  happen  unto  them  just  as  it  does  unto  a  man  who  sets  his 
foot  upon  a  log  of  wood  swimming  in  the  sea  —  the  log  slips 
aside  and  he  is  suddenly  lost  in  the  deep,  or,  as  Isaiah  saith  of 
them,  30:13,  "Therefore  this  iniquity  shall  be  to  you  as  a 
breach  ready  to  fall,  swelling  out  in  a  high  wall,  whose  break- 
ing cometh  suddenly  in  an  instant'". 

Therefore  just  as  that  patience  which  is  exercised  in  pros- 
perity is  no  patience,  so  the  hope  that  is  exercised  in  merits  is 
no  hope.  And,  as  it  is  possible  and  easy  to  have  patience  in 
prosperity,  so  it  is  possible  and  easy  to  exercise  hope  in  merits. 
In  each  case  there  is  eminent  peril.  In  the  former,  lest  the 
man  should  become  proud  and  secure ;  in  the  latter,  lest,  being 
puffed  up  with  his  own  righteousness,  he  should  disregard  the 
fear  of  God,  in  which  fear  lies  the  exercise  of  true  hope.  For 
the  nature  of  patience  is  to  be  exercised  only  in  adversity,  and 
that  of  hope  to  be  exercised  only  under  sin.  Not,  however, 
that  we  should  sin,  in  order  that  we  may  be  in  a  state  to  hope ! 
No,  God  forbid !  We  have  sins  enough  already,  both  of  those 
which  we  have  committed  ourselves  and  of  those  in  which  we 
were  born,  for  all  our  own  good  works  are  but  sins  before 
God,  to  make  us  fit  subjects  for  the  exercise  of  hope. 

Is  God  cruel  then,  who  condemns  all  our  works  and  per- 
formances? No.  But  his  mercy  is  unspeakable  in  his  con- 
descending to  communicate  himself  unto  us  and  to  take  away 
all  our  own  confidence  from  us,  which  is  the  only  thing  that 


PSALM   V.  261 

opposes  his  mercy.  He  has  given  a  law,  in  and  by  which  he 
has  shut  up  "all  unto  disobedience,  that  he  might  have  mercy 
upon  all",  Rom.  1 1  :32.  For  where  there  is  no  low  there  is 
no  sin;  where  there  is  no  sin  there  is  no  mercy;  where  there 
is  no  mercy  there  is  no  salvation;  and  where  there  is  no  sal- 
vation there  is  no  God.  Hence  the  strength  of  sin  is  the  law, 
I  Cor.  15:56,  the  strength  of  the  law  is  mercy,  the  strength 
of  mercy  is  hope,  the  strength  of  hope  is  salvation,  and  the 
strength  of  salvation  is  God  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord; 
for  he  "is  the  God  of  deliverances  and  unto  Jehovah,  the  Lord, 
belongeth  escape  from  death",  Ps.  68  :20.  For  the  law  works 
sin  in  us,  mercy  works,  that  is,  fulfils  the  law,  hope  works 
mercy,  salvation  works  hope,  and  God  works  salvation,  and  all 
is  in  Christ.  Hence  salvation  descends  from  God  through 
Christ  unto  sin,  and  we  ascend  from  sin  through  Christ  unto 
God. 

From  this  it  follows,  that  as  in  temporal  affairs  good  things 
are  given  unto  us  of  God,  that  we  may  by  them  be  led  the 
more  to  worship  him,  hope  in  him,  and  love  him,  since,  from  the 
depravity  of  our  nature,  we  worship,  hope  in,  and  love  him 
less  in  tlie  time  of  prosperity  than  in  the  time  of  adversity ;  nay, 
in  the  latter  we  worship,  hope  in,  and  love  him,  more  than  in 
the  former.  So  in  spiritual  things,  the  blessings  and  merits 
of  grace  are  given  unto  us  of  God,  that  by  them  we  may  be  . 
led  the  more  fully  to  hope  in  him.  And  behold,  by  the  depravity 
of  our  nature,  we  presume  upon  these  freely  given  blessings 
and  exercise  imdcr  them  the  least  hope  of  all  and  are  more 
easily  brought  to  hope  in  him  under  sin.  Hence  it  seemed 
necessary  to  the  divine  goodness  to  raise  the  cross,  and  by  the 
preaching  of  it  to  save  fools  and  sinners  that  believe,  and  to 
reprobate  the  self-wise  and  saints,  as  the  apostle  saith,  i  Cor. 
I  :23  etc.,  "But  we  preach  Christ  crucified,  unto  Gentiles,  that 
is,  to  the  wise  foolishness,  and  unto  Jews,  that  is,  the  saints,  a 
stumbling-block ;  but  unto  them  that  are  called,  both  Jews  and 
Greeks,  that  is,  sinners  and  fools,  Christ  the  power  of  God 


2.62.  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

and  the  wisdom  of  God" ;  and  so  on  as  it  is  there  beautifully  set 
forth. 

Wherefore  as  it  is  most  perilous  for  a  man  to  be  left  always 
in  prosperity,  because  in  such  a  state  he  never  or  very  rarely 
learns  to  love  God ;  so  it  is  more  perilous  for  a  man  to  be  left 
in  great  spiritual  prosperity  all  his  life  long,  for  he  will  scarcely 
ever  learn  to  hope  in  God.  Hence  when  God  begins  in  mercy 
to  visit  such  they  do  not  only  fall  into  perturbation  of  con- 
science, but  if  they  happen  to  be  of  a  more  incorrigible  nature 
than  usual,  they  will  sometimes  even  fall  into  the  open  act  of 
sin,  that  is,  into  fornication  or  something  of  that  kind.  God 
thinks  fit  to  deal  with  them  thus,  leading  them  as  it  were  to 
his  mercy  in  a  way  that  is  contrary  to  mercy  and  permitting 
them  to  fall  into  sin  in  order  to  deliver  them  from  sin. 

But  these  things  are  higher  than  many  can  grasp  and  under- 
stand, and  perhaps  they  may  say  by  way  of  objection,  well  then  ! 
we  had  better  sin  only,  and  lay  aside  doing  good  altogether ! 
Or,  as  the  apostle  says,  in  stating  the  objections  that  such  will 
make,  "Let  us  do  evil  that  good  may  come",  Rom.  3  :8.  For 
when  we  speak  as  I  do  now  we  seem  to  many  to  be  opening 
the  door  to  sin  and  shutting  it  against  good  works  unto  the 
injury  of  salvation.  To  such  we  will  give  this  answer:  Good 
works  are  not  only  not  prohibited,  but  are  greatly  commended 
by  these  words,  and  sin  is  by  the  most  effectual  discipline  taken 
out  of  the  way,  while  they  teach  that  these  good  works  are  to 
proceed  from  within  and  that  sin  is  to  be  destroyed  within. 
For  it  is  that  depraved  affection,  the  head  of  the  old  serpent, 
which  is  so  secretly  and  subtlely  carnal  and  which  trusts  in 
these  works  and  most  obstinately  resists  that  hope  which  rests 
in  the  mercy  of  God  alone,  that  is  to  be  bruised,  plucked  out, 
and  destroyed.  And  we  are  to  understand  that  even  if  our 
mind  has  not  been  employed  well  we  are  not  to  despair,  and 
that,  on  the  contrary,  we  are  not  therefore  to  hope,  because  it 
has  been  employed  well ;  the  former  of  which  is  very  difficult 
to  be  put  into  practice,  though  the  latter  is  much  more  difficult 


PSALM   V.  263 

Still;  because,  in  the  former  we  fight  only  against  sins,  but 
in  the  latter,  against  good  works  and  sins  both,  that  is,  against 
that  feeling  of  presumption  which  always  accompanies  good 
works. 

Moreover,  when  I  say  that  patience  cannot  exist  in  pros- 
perity, do  I  therefore  condemn  possessions,  power,  peace,  the 
happiness  of  life,  etc.,  things  without  which  we  cannot  live, 
and  which  are  prized  by  the  best  of  all  beings  ?  By  no  means  ! 
I  only  condemn  the  state  of  our  miiids  under  the  enjoyment 
of  them.  In  the  same  way,  these  things  are  elsewhere  compelled 
to  be  called  by  a  name  descriptive  of  them,  as  in  Ecclesiastes 
they  are  called  "vanity",  and  by  Christ  in  the  Gospel  "thorns" ; 
not  from  any  evil  that  there  is  in  these  things  themselves,  but 
from  the  vanity  of  men,  under  which  vanity,  as  the  apostle 
saith,  Rom.  8  :20,  22,  "For  the  creation  was  subjected  to  vanity, 
not  of  its  own  will,  but  by  reason  of  him  who  subjected  it,  in 
hope". 

Hence  these  very  good  works  of  the  ungodly,  which  are 
themselves  gifts  of  God  and  by  which  others  are  often  bene- 
fited while  the  ungodly  themselves  are  destroyed  by  them,  are 
called  AVEN^  that  is,  iniquity,  idolatry,  and  disobedience;  not 
on  account  of  the  evil  in  the  works  themselves,  but  on  account 
of  the  evil  and  contagious  depravity  in  those  that  perform  them. 
And  Moses  speaks  of  these  things  thus,  Deut.  28  130,  with  the 
veil  upon  his  face,  "Thou  shalt  betroth  a  wife,  and  another  man 
shall  lie  with  her :  thou  shalt  build  a  house,  and  thou  shalt  not 
dwell  therein :  thou  shalt  plant  a  vineyard,  and  shalt  not  use 
the  fruit  thereof" ;  and  many  other  things  he  says  in  the  same 
spirit,  wherein  he  foretells  the  labors  that  such  shall  endure,  but 
of  which  others  shall  reap  the  fruit ;  ^or  what  else  does  Moses 
here  say  than  that  such  do  good  works,  but  that  those  works 
end  only  in  their  own  punishment  and  the  benefit  of  others  ? 

Hence,  the  argument  which  many  adduce  by  way  of  ob- 
jection is  answered  and  disposed  of.  They  ask  how  a  work 
done  without  grace,  such  as,  giving  of  alms,  helping  a  needy 


264  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

person,  and  the  like,  can  be  sin  ?  As  if  Christ  did  not  know  that 
to  prophesy,  to  do  wonderful  things  in  his  name,  and  to  hear  his 
Word,  were  good  works !  And  yet  he  says  that  he  will  con- 
demn all  such  works  as  iniquities  and  will  say  to  the  performers 
of  them,  "Depart  from  me,  ye  that  work  iniquity".  So,  when 
a  harlot  is  adorned  with  gold  and  jewels  it  of  necessity  follows, 
that  it  is  she  that  sins,  and  not  the  goodly  ornaments  that  she 
wears.  Therefore  the  ungodly  may  do  good  to  profit  others, 
but  not  to  benefit  themselves.  For  it  is  rather  God  that  works 
by  them  in  these  works,  who  worketh  all  in  all. 

All  these  things  are  also  proved  by  the  firm  and  conclusive 
argument,  that  according  to  the  opinion  of  all,  hope  is  a  spirit- 
ual and  powerful  principle  which  in  its  acting  has  God  for  its 
object,  and  God  is  goodness,  and  that  mercy  which  is  promised 
unto  us.  Wherefore,  if  a  person  hope  in  any  thing  else  than 
that  promised  mercy,  that  is,  in  God,  he  does  not  hope,  but 
presumes  and  misses  hope  altogether.  The  same  also  does  he 
who  hopes  in  God  and  his  own  merits.  For,  as  God  cannot  be 
loved  together  with  another  as  Augustine  says,  for  then  he  is 
not  loved  above  all  things ;  so,  neither  can  he  be  hoped  in  to- 
gether with  any  other,  because  then  he  is  not  hoped  in  above 
all  things.  These  three  things,  therefore,  are  of  a  divine 
nature:  —  there  is  a  divine  object,  a  divine  subject,  and  a 
divine  agent ;  wherein  are  contained  the  work,  the  manner,  and 
the  act.  Here  are  the  bridegroom  and  the  bride  and  all  the 
secrets  of  the  marriage-bed,  the  bridegroom  alone  with  the  bride 
alone.  All  other  works  are  carried  on  by  the  daughters  of 
Jerusalem  and  by  the  companions,  all  others  halt  between  two 
opinions,  worshipping  their  Baal  and  God  together! 

Finally,  these  things  are  further  proved  thus.  'Hope  acts 
upon  things  which  are  not  seen',  as  does  faith  also,  for  the 
apostle  saith,  Rom.  8  -.24,  "But  hope  that  is  seen  is  not  hope : 
for  what  a  man  seetli  why  doth  he  yet  hope  for?"  So  if  a  man 
believe  in  that  which  he  seeth,  why  doth  he  yet  believe?  If 
these  men  hope  in,  believe,  and  love  what  they  see,  what  do 


PSALM   V.  265 

they  hope  auJ  beheve  in?  In  nothing  but  a  carnal  bugbear, 
in  something  for  beneath  God,  that  is,  not  in  a  reahty,  but  in 
a  deceptive  hobgobHn  of  appearance.  Such  hope  in,  see,  hold, 
possess,  and  feel  their  own  works,  and  in  them  they  trust,  but 
not  in  the  invisible,  intangible,  incomprehensible  promiser  who 
is  heard,  and  who  reveals  himself  in  his  Word  only !  These 
things  are  too  high,  too  difficult,  too  hard  for  our  flesh,  because 
they  are  the  death  of  it. 

Hence,  all  that  is  said  in  the  Song  of  Solomon  concerning 
the  bridegroom  and  the  spouse  in  a  lascivious  manner,  as  it 
were,  and  according  to  the  carnal  love  of  men,  and  also  all 
those  things  which  are  there  represented  as  transacted  between 
the  male  and  female  sex  have  a  signification  directly  the  con- 
trary to  those  pleasures ;  for  they  represent  the  most  perfect 
works  of  faith,  hope,  and  love,  that  is,  they  show  such  works  to 
be  as  strong  as  death  and  hell ;  as  it  is  there  written.  Song  8 :6, 
"For  love  is  strong  as  death ;  jealousy  is  cruel  as  the  grave". 
Again,  ver.  7,  "Many  waters  cannot  quench  love,  neither  can 
floods  drown  it.  If  a  man  would  give  all  the  substance  of  his 
house  for  love,  he  would  be  utterly  contemned" ;  which  things 
can  by  no  means  be  understood  concerning  the  flame  of  lust. 

Many  men  have  vamped  up  and  fabled  many  things  about 
mystical,  negative,  proper,  and  symbolical  theology,  "not  know- 
ing what  they  say  nor  whereof  they  affirm" ;  for  they  know 
not  what  either  negative  or  affirmative  theology  is,  nor  the 
relative  nature  of  either.  Nor  can  the  commentaries  of  such 
men  be  read  without  peril,  because  such  as  the  men  are  them- 
selves such  are  their  writings  ;  as  they  felt,  so  they  spoke.  They 
felt  every  thing  the  contrary  to  negative  theology,  that  is,  they 
never  knew  nor  ever  felt  death  and  hell,  nor  loved  such  ex- 
perience ;  and  therefore,  it  is  impossible  but  that  they  should 
deceive  themselves  and  their  readers, 

I  wished  to  say  these  things  by  way  of  admonition,  because 
the  commentaries  of  Dionysius  upon  mystical  theology  are 
every  where  circulated  both  from  Italy  and  from  Germany; 


266  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

which  are  mere  "oppositions  of  science",  vaunting  and  puffing 
off  itself.  Let  no  one  therefore  consider  himself  to  be  a  theo- 
logian in  mysteries  because  he  has  read,  understood,  and  taught 
these  things,  or  rather  because  he  imagines  that  he  has  under- 
stood and  taught  them.  For  a  man  becomes  a  theologian  by 
living,  or  rather  by  experiencing  death,  and  condemnation,  not 
by  mere  understanding,  reading,  and  speculation. 

Again  they  may  bring  forward,  by  way  of  objection  to 
what  I  have  said,  the  saying  of  Paul,  Rom.  5  :3-5,  "Tribulation 
worketh  stedfastness  (patience)  ;  and  stedfastness,  approved- 
ness ;  and  approvedness,  hope ;  and  hope  putteth  not  to  shame". 
'Here,  they  say,  the  apostle  seems  to  place  hope  among  merits.' 
Thus  they  will  make  the  great  master  of  all  doctrines,  Peter 
Lombard,  to  give  this  definition  of  hope  in  unison  with  the 
opinions  of  the  whole  multitude  of  theologians :  —  'That  hope 
is  a  certain  expectation  of  a  reward  springing  out  of  merits.' 
For  such  have  no  other  hope  than  that  which  preceeds  from 
merits.  From  which  opinions,  what  else  can  follow  than  the 
ruin  of  all  theology  and  the  ignorance  and  oblivion  of  Christ 
and  his  cross,  and  the  forgetting  of  God  for  ever. 

But  what  will  such  say  when  we  bring  before  them  their 
own  confessions,  'that  faith,  hope,  and  love  are  infused  virtues, 
and  the  principles  of  all  good  things?'  Hence  they  themselves 
declare  that  merits  cannot  exist  before  love.  They  moreover 
constantly  assert,  'that  hope  and  faith  are  infused  together  with 
love'.  According  to  their  own  assertions  therefore  it  is  cer- 
tain that  hope  does  not  proceed  from  merits,  but  merits  from 
hope.  Yet,  when  they  define  hope  they  controvert  this  assertion 
and  contradict  themselves,  making  hope  to  proceed  from  merits. 

What  will  they  say  to  the  apostle,  when  he  makes  patience 
to  be  the  work  of  tribulation  ?  Rom.  5  :3.  But  who  can  endure 
any  tribulation  without  hope?  For  the  man  that  is  in  despair 
will  never  come  to  any  patience,  nor  to  any  approvedness,  nor 
to  any  glorying  in  tribulation,  by  tribulation,  but  on  the  con- 
trary will  only  become  worse  and  worse  by  it ;  as  Christ  teaches 


PSALM   V.  267 

US  in  his  discourse,  Matt.  7  •.26  etc.,  concerning  the  house  built 
upon  the  sand,  the  fall  of  which  was  great  when  the  winds  blew 
and  the  floods  came;  and  as  we  are  also  taught  by  his  parable 
of  the  seed,  which  when  sown  fell  upon  a  rock,  Luke  8  :6,  and 
soon  sprung  up,  but  was  scorched  by  the  sun ;  these  parables 
represent  those  who  in  time  of  temptation  fall  away.  Hence 
there  must  be  hope  in  the  beginning  of  tribulation  in  order  to 
its  working  patience. 

But  further;  only  reason  upon  this  definition,  'Hope  pro- 
ceeds alone  from  merit'.  Therefore  no  sinner  can  ever  hope 
except  the  righteous  alone!  If  this  argument  stand  good,  who 
will  be  converted  to  repentance?  Who  will  be  righteous,  if  no 
sinner  repent?  And  how  will  any  one  repent,  without  hoping 
in  the  mercy  of  God?  Are  we  then  to  say  to  a  dying  sinner, 
'Thou  hope !  far  away  be  it  from  thee  to  attempt  to  hope.  Thou 
hast  no  merits  from  which  thou  canst  possibly  derive  any  hope  ?' 
This  would  not  be  acting  the  theologian,  but  acting  the  devil. 
,  For  the  voice  of  the  devil  is  always,  'Do  not  thou  presume  to 
hope,  for  thou  hast  no  merits!'  Whereas  the  point  of  death 
is  the  greatest,  the  most  important,  and  the  best  place  and  cir- 
cumstance in  which  hope  can  act,  and  death  itself  is  most  es- 
pecially adapted  to  work  together  for  the  exercise  of  hope. 
Such  a  definition  of  hope  therefore  is  most  false,  and  I  would 
rather  confess  that  I  did  not  understand  one  word  of  the  apostle, 
than  admit  that  such  a  definition  of  hope  could  be  drawn  from 
him. 

I  will  therefore  give  my  opinion.  First  of  all,  it  is  certain 
that  grace,  namely,  faith,  hope,  and  love,  are  not  infused  or 
communicated  without  sin  being  also  infused  or  felt  at  the 
same  time;  that  is,  the  sinner  is  not  justified  unless  he  be  first 
condemned,  he  is  not  made  alive  unless  he  be  first  killed,  he 
ascendeth  not  into  heaven  unless  he  first  descend  into  hell,  as 
the  whole  scripture  plainly  shows.  Wherefore  the  infusion  of 
grace  must  of  necessity  be  attended  with  bitterness,  tribulation, 
and  suffering,  under  which  the  old  man  groans,  not  being  able 


268  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

to  bear  his  casting  out  with  any  kind  of  patience.  But  if  under 
,  this  tribulation  the  man  be  patient  and  wait  for  the  hand  of 
him  that  is  working  in  him  and  infusing  or  communicating 
grace  unto  him,  he  is  thereby  proved  and  he  shall  find  hope, 
faith,  and  love,  which  under  such  an  experience  are  infused. 
This  takes  place  as  often  as  things  turn  out  contrary  to  our 
will,  and  the  effects  are  the  greater,  the  more  contrary  those 
things  are. 

This  I  say  is  the  way  in  which  grace  is  infused  or  com- 
municated not  only  at  first,  but  also  at  every  subsequent  com- 
munication. For  the  old  man  is  always  more  and  more  ex- 
pelled, as  grace  more  and  more  enters  in  even  unto  death ; 
according  to  Rev.  22:11,  "He  that  is  righteous  let  him  do  right- 
eousness still ;  and  he  that  is  holy  let  him  be  made  holy  still" ; 
and  according  to  John  i  :i6,  "Grace  for  grace" ;  and  Paul,  Rom. 
I  :iy,'A  righteousness  of  God  is  revealed  from  faith  unto  faith' ; 
and  2  Cor.  3  :i8,  'We  are  transformed  from  glory  to  glory';  so 
Ps.  84  :y,  "They  go  from  strength  to  strength".  And  in  the 
same  way  we  may  rightly  be  said  to  go  from  hope  to  hope. 

It  is  quite  manifest  therefore  that  the  apostle  is  not  speak- 
ing so  much  of  the  hope  itself  which  is  obtained,  as  of  the 
certain  assurance  of  heart  under  that  hope;  while  the  man, 
after  the  tribulation  and  infusion  or  communication  of  hope, 
for  under  the  tribulation  he  appears  to  himself  to  have  no  hope 
at  all,  feels  that  he  hopes,  believes,  and  loves  ;  for  he  then  tastes 
how  sweet  the  Lord  is,  and  begins  to  hunger  and  thirst  after 
more  suffering,  that  the  tribulation  may  work  in  him  a  greater 
degree  of  hope.  Hence  it  is  necessary  that  there  be  faith,  hope, 
and  love,  in  the  beginning  of  every  good  work  and  suffering; 
but  it  is  after  the  work  and  suffering  that  the  hope  which  lay 
hidden  is  made  manifest ;  and  it  is  then  that  the  persons  are 
approved  and  manifested.  In  this  way  Job  and  Abraham  were 
tried,  that  they  might  be  made  manifest  and  known  to  them- 
selves and  might  be  assured  that  they  believed  in,  hoped  in,  and 


PSALM  V.  269 

loved  God.  "Now  know  I  that  thou  fearest  God",  that  is,  now 
have  I  made  thee  to  know,  etc.,  as  Augustine  expounds  it. 

For  a  man  must  not  only  beheve,  hope,  and  love;  but  he 
must  know  and  is  certain  that  he  believes,  hopes,  and  loves. 
The  former  takes  place  in  the  hidden  circumstances  of  the 
storm,  the  latter  after  the  storm  is  over. 

Thus,  Peter  exhorts  you  to  "give  the  more  diligence  to 
make  your  calling  and  election  sure".  2  Pet.  i  :io.  For  it  is 
one  thing  for  a  man  to  be,  or  to  be  made,  good  and  another  for 
him  to  know  that  he  is  so  made.  Just  in  the  same  way  as  a 
"blood  thirsty  and  deceitful  man",  when  he  is  irritated,  becomes 
manifest  and  is  found  to  be  a  blood  thirsty  and  deceitful  man ; 
whereas  before,  he  seemed  to  others  and  also  to  himself  to  be  of 
a  very  sweet  disposition  and  a  simple  character. 

In  like  manner  the  cross  operates  in  those  who  endure  it 
and  are  proved  by  it,  even  unto  the  end,  until  they  arrive  at 
solid  hope ;  that  is,  the  hope  begins,  increases,  and  goes  on,  and 
makes  the  man's  knowledge  of  the  goodness  of  his  state  sure 
and  certain.  But  in  those  who  do  not  endure  it  and  are  not 
proved  by  it,  but  found  reprobate,  it  works  the  most  impotent 
despair  from  the  very  beginning.  Hence  Tauler,  a  man  of 
God,  said,  as  all  who  experience  the  same  thing  say,  'God  is 
never  more  pleasing,  more  lovely,  nor  more  sweet  to  his  chil- 
dren than  after  their  probation  under  tribulation. 

This  is  the  hope  that  the  apostle  says  is  wrought  by  ap- 
provedness".  Rom.  5  4.  And  as  children  of  the  flesh  love  their 
natural  father  more  sweetly  after  correction  by  the  rod ;  so 
the  bridegroom  Christ  visits  his  bride  after  his  embraces  with 
a  pleasure  which  is  contrary  to  the  flesh,  which  embraces  are 
themselves  death  and  hell  to  the  flesh.  Herein  does  that  great 
mystery,  "And  thy  twain,  Christ  and  the  Church,  shall  be  one 
flesh",  Eph.  5:31,  rule  and  reign;  which  is  indeed  a  great 
mystery.  It  is  very  hard  to  be  borne  in  its  operation,  but  it 
produces  the  sweetest  fruits,  bringing  forth  an  ofifspring  most 
like  unto  God  and  works  that  are  blameless.    For  it  is  thus  that 


270  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

the  vine  is  purged,  that  it  may  bring  forth  more  fruit.  If 
then  it  be  true  that  every  degree  of  hope  is  wrought  by  ex- 
perience how  much  more  is  the  apostle  to  be  understood  as  hav- 
ing spoken  and  thought  in  the  same  way  also  of  perfect  hope, 
which  proceeds  from  many  and  different  tribulations? 

Let  us  now  look  farther  into  the  v/ords  of  the  apostle.  He 
calls  hope  the  work  of  approvedness,  approvedness  the  work  of 
stedfastness,  and  stedfastness  the  work  of  tribulation.  But  that 
great  master  of  doctrines  says  too  much  if  he  calls  those  'merits' 
from  which  hope  proceeds ;  at  least,  the  persons  who  so  under- 
stand him  do  not  comprehend  what  he  means  by  those  'merits'. 
For,  most  certainly  that  active  life  in  which  many  too  rashly 
confide  and  which  they  generally  understand  to  be  signified  by 
the  term  merits,  does  not  produce  or  work  merits,  but  presump- 
tion; just  as  knowledge  puffeth  up.  Therefore  v/e  must  call 
in  another  kind  of  life  to  be  understood  as  here  signifying 
merits,  namely,  that  passiz'c  life  which  mortifies  and  destroys 
all  this  active  life,  so  that  nothing  of  the  merits  of  the  latter 
remains  in  which  the  proud  person  may  glory. 

Where  this  takes  place,  if  the  man  persevere,  hope  is 
wrought  in  him ;  he  learns  that  there  is  nothing  in  which  he 
can  rejoice,  hope,  or  glory,  but  God.  For  tribulation,  as  it 
takes  away  all  things  from  us,  leaves  nothing  but  God ;  it  cannot 
take  away  God,  but  rather  brings  him  nearer  to  us.  If,  when 
all  cur  own  affairs  are  taken  away,  even  our  works  and  our 
merits,  if,  I  say,  we  here  endure  and  stand,  we  find  God  in 
whom  alone  we  trust,  and  thus  "we  are  saved  by  hope". 

Wherefore  though  those  holy  work-mongers  say  they  trust 
in  God  with  all  their  confidence,  yet,  when  their  active  life, 
which  is  all  their  dependence,  begins  to  be  tried,  either  with 
contempt  in  the  sight  of  men,  or  with  trouble  of  conscience 
before  God,  they  all  give  way  and  fall,  thereby  showing  that 
they  trusted  more  in  their  own  life,  than  they  hoped  in  the 
mercy  of  God.  There  is  no  active  life  which  can  sufiice  before 
God,  or  can  so  suffice  before  men  as  to  be  satisfactorily  pleasing 


PSALM  V.  271 

to  all  unto  the  end.  Hence  David  saith,  Ps.  143  :2,  "Enter  not 
into  judgment  with  thy  servant,  for  in  thy  sight  no  man  living 
is  justified". 

It  is  the  passive  life  only  that  is  most  pure,  and  therefore 
it  is  only  that  which  works  hope  and  glory.  In  this  we  ought 
to  be  conformed  to  the  example  of  Christ  our  King  and  Captain, 
who  began  indeed  with  the  active  life,  but  finished  with  suffer- 
ing, all  his  works,  though  so  great,  so  many,  and  so  wonderful, 
being  accounted  as  naught,  that  is,  in  the  sight  of  men,  as  our 
own  works  should  be  in  our  own  sight,  that  he  was  not  only 
numbered  by  men  among  the  wicked,  but  was  thought  to  be 
deserted  by  God. 

All  things  therefore  are  to  be  so  entirely  taken  from  us,  that 
not  even  the  best  gifts  of  God,  that  is,  the  merits  above-men- 
tioned themselves,  shall  be  left,  in  which  we  may  trust ;  so  that 
there  may  be  pure  hope  in  an  all-pure  God,  and  then  the  man 
is  truly  pure  and  holy.  This  matter  is  attended  with  various 
tribulations  and  with  many  pains;  but  the  greatest  pains  are, 
when  we  begin  to  approach  towards  the  perfection  of  hope, 
that  is,  to  the  being  stripped  of  all  our  good  works  and  of  trust 
in  our  good  life.  For  in  the  loss  of  all  other  things,  such  as 
property,  health,  and  honor,  it  is  not  so  much  hope  that  is  ex- 
ercised, as  it  is  patience  that  is  contending  against  impatience 
and  the  natural  man ;  under  which  the  man  is  so  exercised  and 
instructed,  that  he  learns  patiently  to  despise  his  present 
troubles  as  being  those  which  he  will  never  have  to  endure 
again. 

But  in  these  storms  of  conscience  and  in  these  ruins  of 
merits,  hope  itself  fights  against  desperation  and  oftentimes 
against  itself,  nay,  even  against  God ;  vvhom  L  ;  c  feels  to  be 
angry  with  her^  because  sle  has  no  merits  whatever;  and 
though  she  cannot  endure  being  without  these  nvaits,  yet  she 
is  forced  to  be  without  them,  which  so  miser.- '  .  iucifies  the 
spirit  of  the  man,  that  it  makes  him  almos  ab!  ,  like  Christ, 
to  tell  all  his  bones.  Ps.  22  :i8. 


272  LUTHER  ON   THE  PSALMS. 

So  that,  any  one  may  rightly  call  hope,  spiritual  patience, 
or  patience  in  enduring  accusations ;  as,  on  the  contrary, 
i  patience  may  be  called  spiritual  hope,  or  hope  in  enduring  pun- 
ishments. For  what  is  it  to  be  tried  and  tempted  in  the  con- 
science and  with  despair,  but  to  feel  that  our  sins  are  unpar- 
donable, that  God  will  not  be  merciful  to  us,  and  that  all  our 
works  are  naught?  Yet,  if  the  man  persevere  and  hope  against 
hope,  Rom.  4:18,  he  shall  be  found  proved  and  approved;  and 
being  by  this  tribulation  stripped  of  all  his  merits,  he  shall  be 
furnished  with  hope  and  be  crowned  with  an  incorruptible 
crown  that  shall  not  fade  for  ever  and  ever.  For  God  is  not 
really  angry  nor  is  it  his  will  to  refuse  pardon  to  such  an  one's 
sins,  he  only  tries  him  to  see  whether  he  will  hope  in  his  mercy 
rather  than  in  his  own  works. 

Whereas  our  self-justifiers  who  are  daily  filled  and  crammed 
with  the  merits  of  their  active  life  dread  nothing  so  much  as 
having  this  cross  laid  upon  their  merits,  being  deceived  in  the 
words  of  our  great  master  of  theology,  where  he  says  that  hope 
proceeds  from  merits,  which  they  understood  to  be  good  works. 
But  the  apostle  calls  them  "tribulations",  that  is,  mortifications 
and  crucifixions  of  the  flesh. 

Behold  therefore  how  far  we  have  strayed  from  the  true 
knowledge  of  hope  by  misunderstanding  one  word  of  the 
apostle ;  and  this  error  has  produced  an  infinite  number  of  con- 
science-murders and  perhaps  eternal  damnations.  For  while 
such  have  tried  to  find  hope  and  peace  by  works,  tribulation 
either  of  conscience  or  of  body,  which  are  the  true  workers  of 
hope,  opposed  them  in  their  attempt ;  and  they,  not  knowing 
what  that  tribulation  was  and  rejecting  it,  did  not  find  the  hope 
and  peace  they  wanted  and  therefore  despaired.  And  no  won- 
der, for  they  sought  hope  in  that  way  which  leads  to  presump- 
tion ;  and  being  hindered,  or,  as  Hosea  2  :6  saith,  finding  'their 
way  hedged  with  thorns,'  and  not  understanding  this  hinder- 
ance  they  fell  away. 

Hence  we  have  today  that  multitude  of  poor,  weak,  fearful, 


PSALM   V.  273 

and  scrupulous  consciences,  which  are  unstable  in  all  their  ways. 
Thou  art  not,  poor  soul,  thus  tried  with  despair  or  v/ringings 
of  conscience,  that  thou  shouldst  be  driven  to  run  to  trusting  in 
thy  works,  but  on  the  contrary,  that  thou  may  est  be  called  away 
from  those  works.  This  is  a  truly  spiritual  conflict,  though  it 
be  most  bitter,  and  it  is  between  thee  alone  and  God ;  where 
hope  alone  can  support  thee  by  waiting  and  expecting,  commit- 
ting its  whole  cause  unto  God  and  overcoming  God  against 
God ;  as  Jacob  did,  Gen.  32  124,  etc.,  .Avhere  it  is  recorded  of 
him  that  he  being  alone  wrestled  with  God  and  prevailed 
against  him  and  therefore  received  the  blessing  from  him  in 
the  same  place ;  but  the  name  of  the  one  who  blessed  him  it  was 
not  lawful  to  know :  so  he  called  the  name  of  the  place  Penuel, 
saying,  "For  I  have  seen  God  face  to  face,  and  my  life  is  pre- 
served." 

If  any  one  be  permitted  to  go  on  prosperously  in  the  way 
of  presumption  and  to  increase  his  works  without  this  tempta- 
tion, what  will  he  come  to?  Perhaps  he  will  not  run  into  des- 
pair but  despair  will  come  into  him,  because  he  knoweth  not 
God  nor  has  learned  hov/  wonderful  he  is  in  these  his  counsels 
and  workings. 

Now  we  can  see  the  contents  and  weight  of  that  famous, 
much  admired  saying  of  Cicero,  'The  consciousness  of  a  well- 
spent  life  is  a  most  sweet  reflection.'  True!  But  the  sweeter 
such  a  reflection  is,  the  more  destructive  is  it.  This  sentiment 
does  not  at  all  savor  of  the  Christian  ;  for,  to  a  Christian  the 
consciousness  of  a  life  that  has  well  suffered,  that  is,  has  been 
reduced  to  nothing,  is  most  sweet ;  for,  "He  that  glorieth  let 
him  glory  in  Jehovah,"  Jer.  9 124.  Job  did  not  speak  like 
Cicero;  for  though  he  said,  27:6,  "My  heart  shall  not  reproach 
me  so  long  as  I  live,"  yet  he  did  not  dare  to  glory  but  prayed 
that  God  would  not  enter  into  judgment  with  him.  Nor  did 
Paul  speak  like  him  when  he  said,  i  Cor.  4:4,  "For  I  know 
nothing  against  myself;  yet  am  I  not  hereby  justified."  Nor 
Jer.  9 :23,  24,  "Let  not  the  wise  man  glory  in    his    wisdom. 


274  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

neither  let  the  mighty  man  glory  in  his  might,  let  not  tne  rich 
man  glory  in  his  riches.  But  let  him  that  glorieth  glory  in 
this,  that  he  hath  understanding  and  knoweth  me,  that  I  am 
Jehovah  who  exerciseth  loving  kindness,  justice,  and  righteous- 
ness in  the  earth  :    for  in  these  things  I  delight,  saith  Jehovah." 

Consequently  we  are  not  to  believe  in,  hope  in,  cleave  to, 
or  glory  in,  any  gifts  of  God,  lest  we  should  commit  fornication 
with  them,  as  is  often  said  in  the  prophets,  but  in  God  himself 
the  giver  and  in  him  alone.  This  is  what  is  meant,  Ps.  ii6:ii, 
"I  said  in  my  haste,  all  men  are  liars."  Now  this  "haste"  was 
tribulation,  by  which  we  are  instructed  to  know  how  vain  and 
lying  every  man  is  who  hopes  not  in  God  alone.  For  man  is 
man  until  he  is  made  like  unto  God  who  alone  is  true,  by  par- 
taking of  whose  truth,  man  becomes  true  also,  which  he  does 
by  cleaving  unto  God  in  true  faith  and  hope,  being  reduced 
to  nothing  in  himself. 

For  to  what  can  the  man  come,  who  hopes  in  God,  but  to 
nothing  in  himself?  Where  can  the  man  go  who  is  brought 
to  nothing,  but  unto  him  from  whom  he  came  ?  He  came  from 
God  and  from  nothing ;  and  therefore,  he  who  returns  to  noth- 
ing returns  unto  God.  He  that  fails  from  himself  and  all 
creatures  cannot  fall  from  the  hand  of  God  also,  for  the  hand  of 
God  upholds  all  things;  he  holdeth,  as  Isaiah  saith,  40:12,  the 
world  in  his  hand.  If  therefore  thou  fall  through  the  whole 
world,  where  canst  thou  fall  but  into  the  hand  and  bosom  of 
God  ?  Thus  the  souls  of  the  righteous  are  in  the  hand  of  God, 
because  their  safety  is  out  of  the  world.  They  seem  in  the  eyes 
of  the  foolish  to  fall  utterly  and  perish.  Wis,  3  :i-2,  in  the  same 
manner  as  they  see  a  ston^  go  through  the  air  or  the  water ; 
but  the  stone,  remember,  does  not  fall  through  the  earth  also ! 

But,  as  to  those  active  workers  and  self-justifiers,  who,  being 
deluded  by  their  own  opinions,  seek  only  by  all  their  works  and 
righteousnesses  to  increase  and  become  fat  and  great,  and  who 
by  no  means  wish  to  come  to  nothing,  but  to  become  something 
great  —  to  what  think  ye  such  will  come  ?    Why,  they  too  will 


PSALM   V.  275 

be  made  to  fall  back  into  their  nothing;  not,  however,  to  be 
brought  into  the  hand  of  God  but  to  fall  utterly  and  perish 
everlastingly. 

But  I  know  how  many  things  are  brought  forward  out  of 
the  holy  scriptures  and  out  of  the  sayings  of  the  fathers  and  the 
lives  of  the  saints  in  opposition  to  these  teachings.  But  I  also 
well  know  how  perilously  all  those  things  are  understood,  if 
they  be  not  brought  down  to  the  rule  and  standard  now  before 
us,  for  they  all  make  to  this  same  point.  I  will,  however,  for 
example's  sake,  produce  one  of  these. 

We  read  upon  the  authority  of  Jerome  that  Hilary  said  to 
his  soul,  while  he  was  fearing  to  die,  'Leave  this  body,  O  my 
soul ;  what  fearest  thou  ?  Thou  hast  now  served  Christ  for 
these  ninety-three  years;  and  dost  thou  fear  to  die?'  If  there- 
fore he  be  understood  to  have  spoken  as  the  words  imply,  that 
is,  if  he  thus  trusted  in  the  works  of  his  life,  we  must  conclude 
that  he  went  to  hell  and  not  to  heaven. 

But  why  do  they  not  look  into  those  different  words  of  St. 
Agathon?  who,  when  he  had  been  looking  up  to  heaven  with 
steady  and  unaltered  eyes  for  three  days,  and  was  asked  by  his 
disciples  why  he  feared  and  why  he  did  not  trust  in  his  well- 
spent  life  answered,  'I  do  fear  in  reality.  I  know  indeed  that 
I  have  kept  the  commandments  of  God,  as  well  as  I  could ;  but 
the  judgment  of  God  and  the  judgment  of  men  are  very  differ- 
ent from  each  other.'  But  the  fear  of  Hilary  proves  the  same 
thing.  For  if  he  had  found  his  works  sufficient  he  would  not 
have  been  filled  with  fear.  He  was  forced  therefore  to  seek 
some  other  anchor  for  his  confidence  and  trust  and  to  set  before 
himself  the  mercy  of  God,  from  the  remembrance  of  his  past 
benefits  and  mercies  toward  him.  For  it  is  no  slow  motive  to, 
and  excitement  of,  hope,  to  call  to  mind  the  past  or  present 
benefits  of  God  which  have  been  bestowed  or  are  now  bestowed 
upon  us  ;  nay  it  is  a  ray  of  the  countenance  of  God  shining  upon 
us  and  a  good  sign  in  our  favor,  and  very  encouraging  to  faith 
and  hope.    Thus  the  children  of  Israel  were  commanded  to  re- 


276  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

member  the  works  of  the  Lord  and  his  bringing  them  out  01 
Egypt,  Deut.  8:14;  that  their  mouths  being  thus  stopped  and 
filled  with  the  praise  of  God ;  they  might  not  perish,  as  Isaiah 
saith,  48  :g. 

But  you  will  ask,  perhaps,  are  there  then  no  merits  at  all? 
Why  are  we  enjoined  by  so  many  precepts  both  of  Christ  and 
his  apostles  to  do  good  works,  to  sow  our  seed,  to  build  gold, 
silver,  jewels,  etc.?  I  answer:  this  is  what  I  said  before,  that 
most  men  are  deceived  by  misunderstanding  good  works.  Good 
works  are  certainly  to  be  done  and  the  tree  of  the  spirit  ought 
to  bring  forth  those  fruits  which  are  described.  Gal.  5  :22,  23. 
But  men  do  not  understand  those  words  of  Christ,  John  12  124, 
"Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  except  a  grain  of  wheat  fall  into 
the  earth  and  die,  it  abideth  by  itself  alone;  but  if  it  die,  it 
beareth  much  fruit."  And  those  words  in  John  15:2,  "Every 
branch  in  me  that  beareth  fruit,  he  cleanseth  it  that  it  may  bear 
more  fruit." 

For  this  mortification  and  purgation,  which  take  place  by  all 
the  infusion  of  faith,  hope,  and  love,  strip  a  man  of  all  his  own 
works,  that  he  may  learn  to  trust  in  God  alone  and  to  do  good 
works ;  not  that  they  may  be  merits  to  him,  for  which  he  may 
seek  and  expect  his  reward,  but  he  does  them  gratuitously  with 
a  free  mind  and  with  a  mind  ready  and  willing  to  please  God, 
not  trusting  at  all  in  them  himself,  but  doing  them  to  promote 
the  glory  of  God ;  as  Christ  saith.  Matt.  5  :i6,  "Even  so  let  your 
light  shine  before  men ;  that  they  may  see  your  good  works, 
and  glorify  your  Father  who  is  in  heaven." 

They  who  do  good  works  in  this  way  do  them  not  for  them- 
selves but  for  God,  as  instrumxcnts  to  his  glory.  They  arrogate 
nothing  to  themselves  in  doing  them,  being  satisfied  with  God 
only  in  whom  they  hope.  Those  who  do  not  their  works  in  this 
spirit  and  for  these  ends  are  only  apes  of  the  true  saints. 

Hence  of  necessity  unbelief  follows  from  tlie  life  of  all 
saints,  unless  they  have  learned  to  glorify  their  heavenly  Father 
by  their  works.     Rightly  is  it  said,  therefore,  Ps.  25  :io,  "All 


PSALM  V.  2'J'7 

the  paths  of  Jehovah  are  lovingkindness  and  truth" ;  that  is, 
truly  good  works  are  done  when  God  only  and  totally  does  them 
in  and  by  us,  so  that  no  part  of  the  work  whatever  pertains  unto 
us. 

Wherefore,  let  this  be  thy  standard  rule ;  wherever  the  holy 
scriptures  command  good  works  to  be  done,  understand  that  it 
forbids  thee  to  do  any  good  work  of  thyself,  because  thou  canst 
not ;  but  to  keep  an  holy  Sabbath  unto  God,  that  is,  a  rest  from 
all  thy  works,  and  that  thou  become  dead  and  buried  and  permit 
God  to  work  in  thee.  Unto  this  thou  wilt  never  attain,  but  by 
faith,  hope,  and  love ;  that  is,  by  a  total  mortification  of  thyself, 
Col.  3  :5,  and  all  thy  own  works. 

Consequently  there  are  merits  and  yet  no  merits  in  us. 
There  are  merits,  because  the  gifts  of  God  and  his  own  works 
are  merits.  Yet  there  are  no  merits,  because  we  cannot  any 
more  presume  upon  them,  than  any  sinner  can  who  knows  noth- 
ing at  all  about  them  and  in  whom  God  has  not  yet  wrought 
any  thing.  Thus  we  all  are,  all  have  been,  and  all  shall  ever 
remain,  upon  an  equal  footing  before  God,  so  that  the  glorying 
of  one  over  another  must  for  ever  perish ;  according  to  i  Cor. 
4:7,  "For  who  maketh  thee  to  differ?  and  what  hast  thou  that 
thou  didst  not  receive?  now  if  thou  didst  receive  it,  v;'hy  dost 
thou  glory  as  if  thou  hadst  not  received  it  ?"  Mark  the  words ! 
He  who  is  puffed  up  with,  and  boasts  of,  the  gifts  of  God  does 
the  same  as  if  to  say  he  had  received  nothing !  Where  then  is 
a  difference  to  be  found  ?  Nowhere.  As  the  apostle  here  saith, 
"Who  maketh  thee  to  differ?''  Who  has  declared  that  thou  art 
better  than  others  ?    As  if  he  had  answered,  no  one. 

From  all  these  things,  then,  consider  the  equal  judgment 
and  justice  of  God,  and  how  he  would  have  held  up  to  contempt 
all  that  external  bug-bear  and  outward  show  of  life  and  works. 
Because  in  his  eyes  the  just  and  the  unjust  are  alike  as  to  the 
merits  of  their  works.  For  he  has  ordained  this  law  for  all  that 
live  in  this  mortal  life :  —  that  they  should  be  made  to  know, 
that,  as  the  righteous  have  no  cause  or  ground  for  presuming, 


278  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

SO  sinners  indeed  have  no  cause  or  ground  for  despairing 
He  has  given  to  each  the  same  law  for  their  hoping  in  him, 
which  law  alone  makes  the  distinction  between  the  righteous 
and  the  wicked,  between  those  that  despair  in  themselves  and 
those  that  presume.  Hence  in  Ps.  119:75,  David  sings  rightly, 
"I  know,  Jehovah,  that  thy  judgments  are  righteous,  and  that 
in  faithfulness  thou  hast  afflicted  me."  Behold,  before  the  face 
of  the  truth  of  God  David  is  nothing,  and  in  the  judgment  of 
a  just  and  righteous  God  he  is  as  the  greatest  novice,  the  great- 
est sinner  of  all  sinners. 

The  end  of  the  law  of  faith,  hope,  and  love,  is  to  make  us 
all  the  greatest  and  least  instructed  of  all  sinners,  that  is,  to 
make  us  all  equal ;  and  yet,  to  work  thereby  the  most  unequal 
and  the  most  strange  things.  Truly  God  is  wonderful  in  his 
saints ! 

We  are  all  therefore  by  the  commandment  of  God  urged 
to  hope  in  him,  and  are  by  the  same  commandment  deterred 
from  despair  and  presumption ;  and  thus,  truly  God  is  in  all 
things  and  in  all,  equal  and  the  same ;  and  yet,  he  is  most  un- 
equal and  most  different.  For  he  is  a  God  who  is  simple  in 
multiplicity  and  multiplex  in  simplicity,  equal  in  inequality  and 
unequal  in  equality,  low  in  loftiness,  deep  in  height,  and  far  in 
nearness,  and  their  contraries.  So  he  is  powerful  in  the  weak, 
weak  in  the  powerful,  wise  in  fools,  and  foolish  in  the  wise,  in 
a  word,  he  is  all  in  all.  But  I  wish  to  say  these  things  apart 
from  the  pious  ears  of  those  who  are  offended  at  the  truth, 
which  by  all  their  unhappy  reasonings  and  questionings  they 
could  never  learn. 

But  perhaps  the  weak  and  infirm  conscience  may  yet  say, 
'But  suppose  I  cannot  believe,  and  thus  find  my  despair  to  be 
misurmountable  ?'  I  will  answer :  Thou  art  not  even  then  to 
despair  when  thou  thus  feelest  thyself  to  despair.  For  that  is 
not  despair  when  thou  desirest  not  to  despair  and  grievest  that 
thou  dost  despair,  it  is  only  the  trial  and  temptation  of  hope; 
though  that  is  certainly  by  far  the  most  heavy  of  all  tempta- 


PSALM   V,  279 

tions,  because  it  involves  in  its  sensations  the  greatest,  the  eter- 
nal hatred  of  God,  blasphemies,  curses,  and  all  the  evils  of  hell, 
which  we  dare  not  openly  mention,  in  a  word,  it  involves  in  an 
awful  degree  the  ever-blessed  and  glorious  Majesty. 

What  therefore  shalt  thou  do  in  this  case?  Why,  first 
acknowledge  that  thou  deservest  all  this  and  that  it  is  due  unto 
thy  sins.  Here  thou  art  to  be  wise,  thou  art  to  praise  and  give 
thanks  unto  God,  and  thou  art  to  endure  this  infirmity  and 
temptation,  according  to  Eccl.  10:4,  "If  the  spirit  of  the  ruler 
rise  up  against  thee,  leave  not  thy  place ;  for  gentleness  allayeth 
great  offences."  Hence  what  thou  hast  to  take  care  of  is,  that 
thou  do  all  in  thy  power  not  to  yield  to  this  hatred,  blasphemy, 
and  desperation ;  but  that  thou  cry  unto  God,  if  it  be  but  in  one 
single  sigh  or  groan;  and  that  thou  assure  thyself  that,  ac- 
cording to  Is,  42  :3,  "A  bruised  reed  will  he  not  break,  and  a 
dimly  burning  wick  will  he  not  quench." 

I  will  say  first  in  my  free  way,  there  are  none  nearer  to  God 
in  this  life  than  these  kind  of  haters  and  blasphemers  of  him, 
nor  any  sons  more  pleasing  to  him  and  beloved  by  him !  Thou 
mayest  in  this  state  make  more  satisfaction  for  sin  in  one  mom- 
ent than  ever  thou  couldst  by  repenting  for  many  years  under 
a  diet  of  bread  and  water.  Hence  it  is  true  that,  in  death,  where 
this  temptation  prevails  most,  a  Christian  may  in  one  moment 
get  rid  of  all  his  sins,  if  he  act  wisely  under  the  temptation.  It 
is  in  this  state  those  "groanings  that  cannot  be  uttered"  are 
exercised  and  prevail.  Rom.  8  126. 

Secondly,  remember  throughout  thy  whole  life,  that  thou 
pray  for  hope ;  but  so  that  thou  refuse  not  the  will  of  God  in  this 
tliy  infirmity  but  that  thou  endure  it  even  unto  death,  saying 
with  thy  Lord  and  Master,  Matt.  26:38,  "My  soul  is  ex- 
ceeding sorrowful  even  unto  death".  Pray  so  as  not  to  doubt 
that  hope  will  be  given  thee  of  God.  For  he,  who  willed 
that  thou  shouldst  pray,  yea  rather,  who  taught  thee  to  pray 
thus  without  any  of  thine  own  seeking  after  it,  willed  thee 
to  pray  thus,  because  he  had  purposed  to  hear  thee.     There- 


280  LUTHER  ON   THE   PSALMS. 

fore,  bear  all  delays  with  patience  but  doubt  not  that  thou 
slialt  receive;  that  which  will  come,  "shall  surely  come,  it  will 
not  tarry",  Hab.  2  :3,  and  do  thou  in  the  mean  time  hope  against 
hope. 

-  ■'  But  to  this  end  you  will  have  the  rod  and  staff  of  God 
to  sustain  and  comfort  you,  namely  the  first  and  greatest  of 
all  the  commandments  of  God ;  "Thou  shalt  have  no  other 
Gods  before  me".  In  this  commandment  w^e  are  not  only  re- 
minded, warned  and  persuaded  to  hope  in  him,  to  love  him,  but 
it  is  commanded  us  under  the  greatest  punishment  and  obliga- 
tion, for  it  teaches  that  we  have  a  God.  By  this  command- 
ment you  are  not  freed  from  any  sin,  yea  it  outweighs  all 
sin,  whenever  the  opportunity  is  at  hand  to  keep  and  fulfill 

;this  commandment.  For  if  thou  hadst  sinned  against  all  other 
commandments,  and  that  in  various  ways,  thou  didst  not  sin 
as  much  as  when  thou  this  moment  dost  doubt  this  first 
commandment.  For  this  would  be  the  same  as  to  deny  God, 
which  is  horrible  only  to  think  of.  For  v/ho  can  say  in  the 
face  of  his  God,  thou  art  not  God?  Yea,  who  can  hear  this? 
Yet,  he  who  doubts,  says  this  with  the  full  and  everlasting 
fervor  of  his  heart.  The  tempted  one  does  not  think  he  says 
it,  yea.  indeed,  he  does  say  something  like  this,  or  what  is 
nearer  the  truth,  he  suffers  satan  to  say  it  in  him. 

But  how  3'ou  will  say  if  he  torments  me  concerning  pre- 
destination and  makes  me  uneasy,  so  that  I  hope  in  vain,  if  I 
am  not  predestined?  Concerning  this  I  will  say  more  under 
Ps.  22,  if  Christ  give  us  grace.  In  the  meantime  it  is  sufficient 
that  this  is  the  most  dangerous  of  all  temptations.  If  thou 
knowest  why  satan  and  the  wisdom  of  the  flesh  thus  move  you, 
you  will  at  the  same  time  know  with  what  means  you  can  meet 
them. 

First  you  must  hold  firmly  and  be  perfectly  sure  that  this 
thought  is  not  of  God,  and  therefore  with  all  diligence  banish 
it  as  one  that  in  many  wa3^s  is  displeasing  to  God.  That  it 
is  not  of  God  thou  canst  know  by  this,  that  whatever  is  of 


PSALM  V.  281 

God  moves  us  to  keep  his  commandments  and  do  his  will, 
for  God  does,  thinks  and  wills  nothing  more  than  that  his 
will  may  be  done.  But  this  overcurious  solicitude,  whether 
you  are  predestinated  or  not,  he  has  not  commanded  you, 
since  he  has  forbidden  you  the  same,  Ps.  55  :22,  "Cast  thy  bur- 
den upon  Jehovah",  and  Matt.  6:31-33,  "Be  not  anxious. 
Seek  ye  first  the  kingdom  of  God  etc." 

Satan  occupies  your  attention  with  these  useless  and  in- 
jurious cares  for  no  other  reason  than  that  you  should  under 
their  weight  forget  the  commandments  of  your  God,  in  which 
he  has  commanded  you  to  hope  and  believe,  and  he  at  the 
same  time  deceitfully  leads  you  to  think  only  of  yourself  and 
love  yourself,  when  you  begin  to  seek  your  own.  For  this 
is  his  last  and  greatest  trick,  by  which  he  leads  us  so  that 
our  care  is  self  love,  and  he  makes  us  thus  guilty  before  the 
commandment  of  God.  What  will  it  profit,  if  you  are  occu- 
pied with  this  thought  to  the  end  of  the  world  ?  Nothing  will 
result  from  it ;  thou  wilt  not  be  secure  by  it,  neither  will  God 
think  differently  of  you. 

Therefore  you  should  hurl  the  thunderbolts  of  the  scrip- 
tures against  the  work  of  such  fools  and  against  satan,  who 
suggests  such  things.  First  the  words  of  Ps.  i  :2,  "Blessed 
is  the  man  whose  delight  is  in  the  law  of  Jehovah,  not  in  his 
own  predestination,  day  and  night."  And  this  saying  from 
Sirach  6 137,  "Let  thy  thoughts  be  upon  the  precepts  of  the 
Lord,  and  meditate  continually  in  his  commandments".  Ex. 
13:19,  "It  shall  be  for  a  sign  unto  thee  upon  thy  hand,  and 
for  a  memorial  between  thine  eyes".  And  Matt.  7:21,  "Not 
every  one  that  saith  unto  me,  Lord,  Lord,  shall  enter  into  the 
kingdom  of  heaven ;  but  he  that  doeth  the  will  of  my  Father 
who  is  in  heaven",  and  many  like  passages. 

For  God  requires  nothing  more  than  that  his  will  be 
commended  unto  us  with  assiduous  solicitude.  When  we  do 
that  our  predestination  will  be  spontaneously  accomplished 
and  that  without  any  anxiety  on  our  part.    The  tempter  how- 


2^2  LUTHER  ON   THE  PSALMS, 

ever  wills  that  you  should  first  be  concerned  about  yourself, 
and  then  about  the  commandments  of  God,  whereby  you  in 
this  way  prefer  yourself  to  your  God,  and  do  not  love  him 
above  all  things,  yea  you  do  not  have  a  God.  For  if  they 
hardly  persevere  who  hold  most  faithfully  to  the  command- 
ments of  God,  where  will  they  be  who  forsake  them  and  en- 
gage in  strange  and  useless  thoughts?  Then  you  should  say 
to  satan  and  to  your  heart :  God  has  not  commanded  that, 
but  has  called  me  to  hope;  and  about  this  alone  am  I  con- 
cerned; should  I  wish  to  do  that,  I  Vv'ould  not  be  able. 

Secondly  you  can  readily  see  that  this  thought  is  not  of 
God  in  that  satan  with  these  strokes  intends  two  great  evils 
for  you ;  first  that  you  should  tempt  God,  which  he  had  in 
mind  with  Christ  on  the  pinnacle  of  the  temple.  For  he  is 
concerned  to  occupy  you  with  this  theme,  in  order  that  you 
should  wish  to  be  certain  of  your  predestination  or  to  see  a 
sign  from  heaven.  For  what  is  it  for  man  to  be  tormented 
about  his  predestination,  except  to  be  impatient  concerning 
the  uncertainty  of  the  divine  decree?  What  does  this  im- 
patience do  except  tempt  God  in  that  it  desires  to  be  certain  of 
the  counsel  of  God  as  far  as  it  concerns  each  individual?  In 
short  such  a  person  has  a  hatred  toward  God,  that  he  is  God, 
since  he  will  not  that  he  should  know  more  than  he  knows. 

Therefore  you  should  meet  this  awful  sin  with  the  word 
of  God  as  Christ  did,  when  he  said,  Matt.  4:7,  'Tt  is  written, 
thou  shalt  not  make  trial  of  the  Lord  thy  God".  For  thou 
must  not  desire  to  know  his  secrets  concerning  which  he  has 
willed  that  you  should  not  know  them,  and  be  happy  in  this 
his  will,  which  he  has  commanded  you  to  observe  in  all  things. 
But  if  you  love  this  will  of  his  unrevealed  decree,  then  thou 
art  already  predestinated.  Hence  there  follows  naturally  from 
the  keeping  of  the  commandments,  without  all  this  worry  of 
ours,  that  which  we  so  anxiously  and  in  vain  seek  by  a  per- 
verted study  in  the  face  of  the  commandments,  and  yet  never 
find    it,  because  the  commandment  of  God  is  the  way  to  God. 


PSALM   V.  283 

If  we  have  lost  it,  in  that  we  through  the  temptation  of  satan 
wish  to  accompHsh  this  by  our  own  care  for  our  salvation  and 
predestination,  we  are  necessarily  lead  into  error  and  loose 
both  the  way  of  God  and  our  own  way  and  thereby  both  our 
predestination  and  our  salvation. 

The  other  very  great  evil  is,  that  satan  labors  to  bring  you 
into  the  same  deep  fall,  which  he  himself  experienced  and  into 
which  he  plunged  Adam.  For  what  is  his  aim  with  this  anxie- 
ty about  your  predestination,  except  .that  you  should  wish,  as 
I  have  said,  to  know  the  decrees  of  God?  But  if  man  wills  to 
know  God's  counsels,  that  means  that  he  wills  to  be  like  God, 
as  satan  willed  it,  as  he  said.  Is.  14:13-14,  "I  will  ascend  into 
heaven ;  I  will  make  myself  like  the  Most  High",  and  to  Adam 
he  said.  Gen.  3  15,  "Ye  shall  be  as  God,  knowing  good  and 
evil".  This  means  again  that  you  will  not  that  he  should  be 
your  God,  which  is  the  greatest  of  all  sins.  Thus  you  see  how 
subtly  through  his  horrible  deeds  he  stirs  you  against  the  com- 
mandments of  your  God  in  order  that  you  may  experience  the 
same  fall  which  he  experienced. 

Therefore  he  must  be  crushed  by  the  word  of  God,  which 
says,  "It  is  not  good  to  eat  much  honey ;  so  for  men  to  search 
out  their  own  glory  is  grievous".  Prov.  25  127.  Again,  "Seek 
not  the  things  that  are  too  hard  for  thee,  neither  searth  the 
things  that  are  above  thy  strength.  But  what  is  commanded 
thee,  think  thereupon  with  reverence ;  for  it  is  not  needful  for 
thee  to  see  with  thine  eyes  the  things  that  are  in  secret.  Be 
not  curious  in  unnecessary  matters ;  for  more  things  are  showed 
unto  thee  than  men  understand.  For  many  are  deceived  by 
their  own  vain  opinion ;  and  an  evil  suspicion  hath  over- 
thrown their  judgment".     Sirach  3:21-24. 

Therefore  this  over-curious  concern  about  the  works  of 
God  is  forbidden  by  the  word  of  God,  in  which  we  are  taught 
that  they  are  above  our  reason  and  sense  and  his  judgments 
are  incomprehensible,  and  we  should  rather  exercise  our- 
selves in  fear  in  order  that  we  may  hope  in  him  with  con- 


284  LUTHER  ON    THE   PSALMS. 

fidence,  and  turn  this  impractical  undertaking  back  upon  sa- 
tans  own  head,  and,  comforted  with  Joab,  being  armed  with 
the  word  of  God,  say,  "Be  of  good  courage ;  and  Jehovah  do 
that  which  seemeth  him  good",  2  Sam.  10:12.  Oh  beautiful 
example!  If  he  had  disputed  before  whether  the  victory  were 
predestinated,  he  would  not  have  fought,  moreover  by  dis- 
puting he  would  have  become  indifferent,  and  interested  in 
other  affairs,  and  thus  been  shamefully  defeated. 

Here  we  see  our  most  impious  impiety,  our  most  stupid 
stupidity  and  our  perverse  perversity.  We  marry  wives, 
build  houses,  plant  vineyards,  buy  goods,  and  no  one  first  dis- 
putes whether  it  is  predestined  or  not,  whether  the  wife  is 
chaste  or  an  adultress,  whether  the  house  will  be  destroyed 
by  fire  or  stand,  whether  the  goods  will  perish  or  endure.  In 
short  all  our  works,  especially  our  sins,  we  courageously  begin 
and  do  without  being  concerned  about  what  God  has  predes- 
tined as  to  them.  Here  the  most  high  counsel  is  very  clear  in 
the  face  of  our  rashness.  There  is  no  one  who  is  not  first 
thoughtful,  solicitous  and  zealous  as  to  how  he  shall  accom- 
plish what  he  undertakes,  before  he  investigates  and  disputes 
about  predestination. 

Why  is  this  ?  Because  as  they  are  not  the  precepts  of  God, 
they  are  truly  our  own  and  chosen  by  us.  But  when  it  comes 
to  the  works  of  God  and  his  commandments,  then  the  question 
at  once  arises,  the  counsel  of  God  is  attacked,  yea,  then  we 
begin  to  dispute  whether  we  will  obey  the  commandments  of 
God  before  we  know  his  secrets.  Does  it  not  provoke  the 
divine  majesty  with  the  most  bitter  perverseness  that  w^e  are 
so  patient  and  oblivious  in  our  own  affairs  as  to  his  counsel, 
and  so  impatient  and  inquisitive  as  to  his  aft'airs  ?  Is  it  not 
time  that  just  as  no  leaf  of  a  tree  falls  to  the  ground  without 
his  will,  so  no  soul  can  be  saved  without  his  counsel  ?  No 
hair  grows  upon  your  head  without  his  counsel ;  without  his 
counsel  neither  do  you  eat  bread  nor  drink  water.  Here  you 
do  not  dispute  nor  hesitate,  here  you  are  not  concerned  about 


PSALM   V.  285 

his  counsel,  you  are  at  once  settled  down  to  work.  But  then 
you  are  truly  full  of  questions  and  hesitation. 

Now  therefore  understand  at  least  that  these  offensive  and 
.crafty  thoughts  have  not  come  to  you  from  God  but  from 
satan,  in  order  to  draw  you  by  these  unnecessary  things  from 
the  commandment  and  most  agreeable  will  of  your  loving  God. 
Right  and  most  suitable  are  the  words  of  the  preacher,  Solo- 
mon, Ecc.  .11:4  etc.,  "He  that  observeth  the  wind  shall  not 
sow ;  and  he  that  regardeth  the  clouds  shall  not  reap.  As  thou 
knowest  not  what  is  the  way  of  the  wind,  nor  how  the  bones 
do  grow  in  the  womb  of  her  that  is  Vv'ith  child ;  even  so  thou 
knowest  not  the  work  of  God  who  doeth  all". 

How  is  it?  Shall  we  do  nothing  since  he  does  all,  and 
we  do  not  understand  it?  That  be  far  from  us,  for  it  follows, 
Ecc.  II  :6,  "In  the  morning  sow  thy  seed,  and  in  the  evening 
withhold  not  thy  hand ;  for  thou  knowest  not  which  shall  pros- 
per, whether  this  or  that,  (that  is  that  sown  in  the  morning  or 
in  the  evening),  or  whether  they  both  shall  be  alike  good". 
You  see  how  God  teaches  us  that  we  do  not  know  all  and 
yet,  therefore  we  should  not  cease,  moreover  he  commands  us, 
that  we  should  labor  the  more,  because  we  do  not  know  what 
shall  come  to  pass,  while  those  perverted  people  will  do  nothing 
because  they  do  not  know  what  shall  take  place. 

For  the  devil  seeks  this  in  order  that  they  may  not  do  any- 
thing in  life  nor  die  in  peace  and  hope,  and  at  both  times  be 
rebellious  against  God  and  disobedient  as  to  God's  will,  yet  in 
such  a  way  that  they  may  not  have  the  blame  but  God  himself, 
since  he  did  not  first  by  revelation  make  void  his  decree  and 
annihilate  the  glorious  majesty  of  his  Godhead  by  making  his 
counsel  of  none  effect,  as  if  he  had  burdened  these  people  with 
his  commandments.  For  these  very  sanctified  people  would 
have  gladly  done  all  that  was  commanded,  if  they  only  knew 
first,  what  God  had  thought  concerning  them,  that  is  if  they 
had  had  no  God  and  no  lawgiver;  for  he  can  not  be  God  if 


286  LUTHER  ON   THE   PSALMS. 

he  is  not  different,  and  does  not  think  and  know  different  than 
we  do. 

But  see  again,  when  God  reveals  to  ns  his  counsel,  we 
first  fear  then  contemn  and  despair,  as  there  are  now  people 
who  think  it  is  injurious  to  preach  grace  and  predestination 
\  since  many  take  offense.  Thus  man  who  is  only  dust  dishonors 
everything  that  God  wills  and  does  and  is  warm  only  on  one 
subject,  namely,  that  he  is  without  the  fear  of  God,  that  is, 
without  God.  For  God  cannot  be  feared  if  he  have  not  secret 
thoughts  concerning  us ;  then  neither  faith,  hope  nor  love  could 
exist.    Woe  to  thee,  most  raging  impiety. 

We  will  return  to  the  subject  of  hope  in  order  to  bring 
our  long  discourse  to  an  end. 

Now  there  are  two  things  to  be  observed  in  hope,  our  own 
merits  and  the  promise  of  God.  In  the  mJdst  of  these  thou 
art  to  understand  hope.  Thou  art  to  know  that  hope  depends 
on  the  promise  of  God  and  that  merits  proceed  from  hope; 
so  that  merits  are  not  the  rich  foundation  of  hope,  but  hope 
is  the  work  of  the  Word  or  promise  of  God. 

Wherefore,  merits  are  not  necessary  unto  a  man's  hoping. 
Thou  art  rather  to  look  with  the  purest  simplicity  at  the  Word 
of  the  free  promise,  by  hoping  in  which  thou  mayest  afterwards 
bring  forth  merits.  Thus  the  apostle  Paul,  in  his  Epistle  to 
the  Galatians,  does  nothing  but  prove  that  our  righteous- 
ness does  not  proceed  from  the  law,  nor  works,  but  from 
the  promise  and  blessing  of  God.  For  the  mercy  of  a  freely- 
promising  God  and  his  truth  which  fulfils  that  promise  are  the 
true  causes  of  hope;  by  these  the  mind  is  encouraged  and 
drawn  out  to  hope,  to  call  upon  God,  and  to  live  well ;  for 
if  these  things  did  not  exist  or  were  not  revealed  unto  us  there 
wo-ild  be  neither  faith  nor  hope. 

Wherefore,  the  object  of  faith  and  of  hope  is  a  freely  prom- 
ising God,  or  the  Word  itself  of  God  promising,  and  nothing 
else.  If  this  Word  be  not  observed  always  and  every  where 
hope  must  of  necessity  fall,  just  as  the  house  which  is  built 


PSALM   V.  287 

upon  the  sand  must  fall  when  the  floods  and  winds  beat  upon 
it.  For  upon  this  rock  of  the  sure  promise  and  infallible  Word 
of  God  is  the  church  of  Christ  built;  as  it  is  written,  Prov. 
i8:io,  "The  name  of  Jehovah  is  a  strong  tower:  the  right- 
eous runneth  into  it,  and  is  safe" ;  also  Ps.  61  13,  "For  thou 
hast  been  a  refuge  for  me,  a  strong  tower  from  the  enemy". 
There  is  nothing  here  about  merits ;  all  that  is  said  is  about 
God  himself  and  his  name  in  which  alone  man  is  to  place  his 
hope. 

«  It  follows  therefore  that  hope  does  not  proceed  from  merits, 
but,  on  the  contrary,  merits  proceed  from  hope.  Or  hope  goes 
on  from  hope  to  hope ;  and  so  it  is  before  all  merits  and  goes 
on  with  merits  after  merits.  Even  as  in  this  life  we  do  not  lay 
hold  of  righteousness,  but  are  always  stretching  forth  after  it 
and  seeking  it,  always  seeking  to  be  justified,  always  seeking 
to  have  our  sins  forgiven,  always  seeking  that  the  will  of  our 
Father  which  is  in  heaven  may  be  done,  and  always  desiring 
that  his  name  may  be  sanctified.  Yet  in  this  very  state  we 
are  accounted  righteous  before  God ;  as  he  saith.  Matt.  5  :6, 
"Blessed  are  they  that  hunger  and  thirst  after  righteousness, 
for  they  shall  be  filled."  So  that  hope  may  rightly  be  under- 
stood as  increasing  from  itself  while  tribulations  work  it  if  they 
be  but  so  endured  that  we  may  be  found  proved  by  them. 

From  this  it  seems  to  follow  that  other  virtues  may  be  ptr- 
fected  by  doing;  but  faith,  hope,  and  love,  only  by  suffering; 
by  sufifering,  I  say,  that  is,  by  being  passive  under  the  divine 
operation.  Because  the  works  of  the  other  virtues  are  the  fruits 
of  faith,  hope,  and  love ;  for  who  can  expect  to  see  incarnate 
faith,  incarnate  hope,  and  incarnate  love?  In  a  word,  all  the 
other  virtues  are  exercised  only  in  the  grosser  works. 

Here  the  spouse  of  Christ  again  defiles  her  feet  which  she 
gloried  in  having  washed,  again  puts  on  the  garment  of  which 
she  gloried  in  having  been  stripped,  because  those  things  which 
are  done  by  the  flesh  cannot  be  done  without  sin  and  pollution. 
But  the  works  of  faith,  hope,  and  love,  appear  to  be  the  same. 


288  LUTHER  ON    THE   PSALMS. 

For  what  is  faith,  but  that  motion  of  the  heart  which  is  called 
beHeving?  What  is  hope,  but  that  motion  of  the  heart  which 
is  called  hoping?  And  what  is  love,  but  that  motion  of  the 
heart  which  is  called  loving?  For  all  those  phantasms  are 
merely  human,  the  habit  is  one  thing  and  the  act  another. 
Especially  in  these  divine  matters  in  which  there  is  nothing 
but  a  passive  suffering  or  being  acted  upon,  a  being  moved,  a 
being  carried  along  by  the  Spirit,  whereby  the  soul  is  moved, 
formed,  cleansed,  and  impregnated  by  the  Word  of  God.  So 
that  the  business  of  these  virtues  is  nothing  else  than  a  purging 
of  the  vine-branch,  as  Christ  saith,  that,  being  purged,  it  may 
bring  forth  more  fruit.  John  15:2. 

Finally,  other  virtues  are  employed  in  courser  things  and 
things  outwardly  carnal ;  but  these  inwardly,  with  the  pure 
W^ord  of  God,  whereby  the  soul  is  taken  hold  of  and  does  not 
take  hold  of  any  thing  itself;  that  is,  it  is  stripped  of  its  own 
garments,  of  its  shoes,  of  all  its  possessions,  and  of  all  its 
imaginations,  and  is  taken  away  into  the  wilderness  by  the 
Word,  to  which  it  cleaves,  or  rather  which  lays  hold  of  it,  and 
leads  it  in  a  wonderful  way,  as  Hosea  saith,  2  114,  to  the  invis- 
ible, into  the  banqueting  house.  Song  2  4,  and  into  the  marriage 
chamber.  Song  i  4. 

But  this  leading,  this  taking  her  away,  and  this  stripping 
her,  miserably  tortures  her.  For  it  is  a  hard  path  to  travel 
and  a  strait  and  narrow  way,  to  leave  all  visible  things,  to 
be  stripped  of  all  natural  senses  and  ideas,  and  to  be  led  out 
of  all  those  things  to  which  we  have  been  accustomed ;  this, 
indeed,  is  to  die  and  to  descend  into  hell.  For  the  soul  seems 
unto  herself  to  perish  utterly,  when  all  those  things  in  which 
she  stood  and  was  employed  and  to  which  she  cleaved  are 
destroyed,  and  when  she  herself  can  neither  touch  earth  nor 
heaven  nor  feel  herself  nor  God,  and  saith,  'Tell  my  beloved 
that  I  am  sick  from  love,'  Song  5  :8.  As  if  she  had  said,  I  am 
brought  to  nothing  and  I  know  nothing,  I  am  come  into  black- 
ness and  darkness,  I  can  see  nothing,  I  live  and  am  made  strong 


PSALM   V.  289 

by  faith,  hope,  and  love  only,  that  is,  I  am  wholly  passive,  for 
when  I  am  weak  then  am  I  strong. 

This  leading  or  being  led  is  what  the  mystical  theologians 
call  'going  into  darkness'  and  'ascending  above  entity  and  non- 
entity.' But  I  much  question  whether  such  understand  them- 
selves, for  they  make  all  these  things  to  be  elicited  acts  and 
do  not  believe  them  to  be  sufferings  and  feeling  sensations  of  the 
cross,  death,  and  hell.  But  the  theology  of  the  cross  alone  is 
our  theology! 

From  these  things  I  think  we  may  clearly  understand  the 
Vv^ord  of  the  apostle,  where  he  makes  hope  to  be  the  ark  of 
patience,  proved  by  tribulations  polished,  refined,  and  beaten 
out  as  it  were,  like  a  vessel  from  the  hand  of  the  artificer,  so 
that  he  shines  forth  far  beyond  all  visible  and  comprehensible 
things,  being  taught  to  trust,  not  in  merits,  but  in  God  alone. 
So  a  golden  vessel  wrought  out  with  file  and  hammer  is  not 
formed  for  showing  the  color  of  it  only  nor  yet  for  displaying 
the  workmanship,  but  is  made  a  vessel  that  it  may  be  of  some 
service.  Nor  is  it  polished  that  it  might  be  made  gold,  but 
it  is  formed  into  a  vessel  that  its  owner  might  use  it.  So  man 
is  formed  by  hope  for  the  use  of  God.  But  the  works  them- 
selves do  not  produce  this  hope,  for  this  would  be  to  make  that 
first  which  is  last. 

Wherefore,  that  figurative  language  of  the  scripaure  which 
describes  this  purging  and  operation  of  hope  to  be  a  work- 
manship or  a  vessel  sent  forth  from  the  hand  of  the  Word 
pleases  us  well ;  as,  Prov.  25  :4,  5,  "Take  away  the  dross  from 
the  silver,  and  there  cometh  forth  a  vessel  for  the  refiner. 
Take  away  the  wicked  from  before  the  king,  and  his  throne 
shall  be  established  in  righteousness".  Thus  the  golden  calf, 
Ex.  32,  is  said  by  the  same  figure  to  have  been  sent  forth  from 
the  hand  of  the  workmen,  that  is,  formed  and  fashioned  by 
them.  Hence  we  have  the  scripture,  Ps.  121  :8,  "Jehovah  will 
keep  thy  going  out  and  thy  coming  in  from  this  time  forth 
and  for  evermore";  that  is,  the  beginning  and  the  end  of  all 


290  LUTHER   ON    THE   PSALMS. 

thy  temptations ;  as  Augustine  saA'S,  in  his  observations  upon 
that  passage. 

It  is  an  error,  therefore,  to  hold  that  free-wih  has  any 
hand  in  a  good  work,  for  when  we  say  a  good  work,  as  we 
have  said  of  beheving,  hoping,  and  loving,  is  a  moving,  a 
carrying  along,  and  a  leading,  wrought  by  the  Word  of  God, 
and  a  continual  purging  and  renewing  of  the  mind  and  un- 
derstanding day  by  day  in  the  knowledge  of  God ;  and  though 
that  passive  reception  of  the  teaching  of  God  is  not  always 
the  same  in  degree  and  extent,  yet  it  is  a  being  continually 
taught  while  lying  passive  in  the  hand  of  God.  "Behold,  says 
the  Lord  by  Jeremiah,  18:6,  "as  the  clay  in  the  potter's  hand, 
so  are  ye  in  my  hand,  O  house  of  Israel".  What  power  of 
action  has  clay,  I  ask  you,  while  it  lies  in  the  potter's  hand 
and  he  is  forming  it  into  shape?  Is  it  not  seen  to  be  wholly 
passive?  And  yet  by  this  its  passive  and  shapeless  state  it  is 
rendered  fit  to  be  moulded  into  the  form  that  shall  please  the 
potter. 

In  the  same  manner  we.  by  growing  hope  while  tribulation 
worketh  for  that  end,  are  conformed  to  the  divine  likeness  and 
are  renewed  after  the  image  of  him  that  created  us,  as  Paul 
saith.  Col.  3  :io.  But  the  incarnate  will  or  that  which  is  con- 
nected with  the  external  act  may  rightly  be  said  to  co-operate 
and  to  have  in  that  sense  activity.  Just  in  the  same  way  as  the 
sword  can  do  nodiing  whatever  by  any  power  in  itself  to  move 
but  is  merely  passive,  but  in  giving  the  wound  it  co-operates 
with  the  person  who  cuts  by  its  means.  Wherefore,  as  the 
sword  does  not  at  all  co-operate  as  to  putting  of  itself  in  mo- 
tion, so  neither  does  the  will  co-operate  in  the  putting  of  itself 
in  motion  to  do  good,  for  that  is  a  moving  v.a-ought  by  the 
W^ord  of  God  where  the  will  is  merely  passive;  which  never- 
theless when  put  in  motion  co-operates  to  perform  the  work 
of  the  hands  in  praying,  in  walking,  in  laboring,  etc. 

But  I  have  now  digressed,  perhaps,  somewhat  too  far,  I 
will  therefore  return  to  the  Psalm. 


PSALM   V,  291 

But  let  all  those  that  take  refuge  (hope)  in  thee  rejoice, 
let  them  ever  shout  for  joy  {they  shall  shout  for  joy  for  ever). 

Let  us  first  look  at  the  force  of  the  words,  and  then  at  the 
occasion  on  which,  or  the  reason  why,  the  prophet  spoke  thus. 
Only  "those  that  hope"  are  to  rejoice ;  and  who  these  that  hope 
are,  we  have  already  fully  shown.  And  they  shall  hope  "in 
thee" ;  not  in  any  thing  of  their  own,  nor  in  any  creature,  for 
there  are  some  that  trust  in  man. 

We  also  remark  that  the  word  olam  is  of  very  frequent 
use  in  the  scriptures  and  has  been  rendered  'for  ever',  'always', 
'for  ever  and  ever',  and  in  many  other  ways  bearing  the  like 
signification.  In  the  Hebrew,  by  a  manner  of  speech  peculiar 
to  that  language,  it  signifies  time  of  an  uncertain  and  indefinite 
duration ;  at  least,  it  does  not  always  signify  'eternity'.  Hence 
in  the  Law  of  Moses  it  is  often  said,  'A  certain  rite,  etc.,  shall 
be  observed  by  your  generations  for  ever' ;  whereas,  it  is  cer- 
tain that  all  those  cities,  etc.  were  at  some  time  to  have  an 
end.  Therefore  the  word  appears  to  me  not  to  be  translated 
improperly  by  the  Latin  words  semper,  perennitcr,  and  per- 
pctno. 

But  what  was  it  that  moved  the  prophet  to  set  forth  these 
feelings  so  copiously  and  fully?  Doubtless  the  conversation 
of  the  wicked  whom  he  saw  spending  their  days  in  wealth", 
as  Job  saith  21  :i3,  and  so  to  live  as  if  it  were  their  peculiar 
privilege  to  rejoice,  exult,  and  glory;  which  was  an  offence 
so  deceitful  and  had  such  an  effect  upon  the  saints,  that  many 
prophets  complained  of  this  as  their  greatest  temptation  and 
were  moved  with  murmuring  and  revenge.  For  as  the  state 
of  such  persons  is  an  offence  unto  the  saints  from  the  appear- 
ance of  works  and  temporal  merits;  so  it  is  also  from  the  ap- 
pearance of  temporal  rewards  which  it  carries  with  it.  Hence 
Asaph  saith,  Ps.  73:1-6,  "Surely  God  is  good  to  Israel,  even 
to  such  as  are  pure  in  heart.  But  as  for  me,  my  feet  were 
almost  gone:  my  steps  had  well  nigh  slipped.  For  I  was 
envious  at  the  arrogant  when  I  saw  the    prosperity    of    the 


292  LUTHER  ON   THE   PSALMS. 

wicked.  For  there  are  no  pangs  in  their  death,  but  their 
strength  is  firm.  Tliey  are  not  in  trouble  as  other  men ;  neither 
are  they  plagued  Hke  other  men.  Therefore  pride  is  as  a  chain 
about  their  neck". 

And  Jer.  12:1,  "Wherefore  doth  the  way  of  the  wicked 
prosper  ?  wherefore  are  all  they  at  ease  that  deal  very  treacher- 
ously?" Again  more  fully,  Job  21  :'],  etc.  "Wherefore  do  the 
wicked  live,  become  old,  yea,  wax  mighty  in  power?" 

The  prophet  therefore  in  order  to  fortify  the  godly  against 
being  deceived  by  these  external  appearances  and  ofifences 
calls  them  aside  and  exhorts  them  to  despise  the  rejoicings  of 
such  as  these  and  to  turn  themselves  to  true  rejoicing,  which  is 
rejoicing  in  God.  Wherefore  we  are  through  this  whole  verse 
to  observe  a  twofold  antithesis,  as  it  were,  in  this  way.  V\^e 
appear  to  such  men  as  these  to  be  miserable,  because  we  are 
in  tribulation  and  are  deprived  of  all  those  temporal  things  in 
which  they  abound  and  rejoice.  And  thus  there  is  an  offence 
given  to  both  these  characters  by  that  which  they  behold  ex- 
ternally, and  this  outward  appearance  deceives  very  many. 
But  inwardly,  where  we  live  by  hope,  they  die.  There  we  re- 
joice and  shall  rejoice  for  ever,  but  there  they  neither  can,  nor 
ever  will  rejoice,  if  they  die  as  they  now  live.  And  our  joy 
is  so  real  and  solid  that  we  are  the  only  persons  of  whom  it 
can  be  truly  said,  'they  shall  rejoice' ;  whereas,  their  joy  is 
more  a  sorrow  than  a  joy  if  you  look  within    them. 

Therefore  he  condemns  the  joy  of  the  wicked  altogether 
and  commends  the  joy  of  the  godly.  As  the  joy  of  the  latter  is 
without  any  outward  show  and  that  of  the  former  with  a 
great  deal  of  such  outward  show,  there  is  need  of  faith  to  un- 
derstand the  words  of  the  Spirit  which  are  spoken  in  the 
Spirit ;  otherwise,  thou  wilt  not  understand  them  and  wilt  be 
offended  with  the  appearances  of  these  characters.  For  the 
carnal  man  cannot  savor  the  things  of  God ;  that  is,  he  cannot 
understand  how  a  man  can  rejoice  under  the  privation  of  all 
enjoym.ents,  even  spiritual,  because  he  knows  not  that  there 


PSALM   V.  293 

can  be  any  joy  but  in  present  things  sensibly  enjoyed ;  whereas, 
our  glorying  and  rejoicing  are  in  the  cross  of  our  Lord. 

But  as  the  Hebrews  have  no  optative  mood  and  therefore 
use  the  future  of  the  indicative  in  its  stead  and  as  we  have 
seen  from  the  preceding  observations  that  these  words  and 
feelings  of  this  Psalm  are  full  of  burning  zeal,  it  is  just  to 
understand  this  verse  as  spoken  under  a  feeling  of  holy  in- 
dignation and  having  such  a  meaning  as  this  —  Why  do  these 
ungodly  ones  rage  thus?  Why  do  they  delude  the  souls  of 
men  by  a  fallacious  and  destructive  external  appearance  ?  Con- 
demn, O  Lord,  I  pray  thee,  their  joy  and  expel  them ;  make 
their  hypocrisy  manifest  and  let  them  fall  from  their  deceitful 
appearances,  that  those  only  may  rejoice  who  hope  in  thee; 
that  it  may  be  made  manifest  and  that  all  may  know  that  there 
is  no  joy  anywhere  but  in  the  multitude  of  thy  mercies.  I 
burn  and  am  grieved,  O  Lord,  that  I  cannot  persuade  them  to 
these  things,  for  they  will  not  hear  them.  Do  thou  therefore 
judge  them  and  make  manifest  their  vanity  and  our  truth. 

Here  then  we  have  it  told  us,  where  and  what  true  joy  is, 
namely,  a  good  confidence  and  a  conscience  resting  in  the  mercy 
of  God.  For  they  that  have  had  experience  in  these  things  say, 
'that  there  is  no  joy  above  that  of  a  pure  conscience,  nor  any 
sorrow  greater  than  that  of  a  guilty  and  troubled  conscience; 
as  the  wise  man  saith,  "He  that  is  of  a  merry  heart  hath  a 
continual  feast",  Prov.  15:15.  Again,  Ps.  26:3,  "For  thy 
loving-kindness  is  before  mine  eyes ;  and  I  have  walked  in 
thy  truth". 

A  pure  and  joyful  conscience  comes  in  no  other  way  than 
by  looking  steadfastly  to  the  mercy  of  God ;  as  it  is  said,  Ps. 
4:6,  7,  "Jehovah,  lift  thou  up  the  light  of  thy  countenance 
upon  us :  thou  hast  put  gladness  in  my  heart".  But  what  is 
the  joy  of  the  characters  before  mentioned?  A  plenty  of  corn, 
wine,  and  oil!  that  is,  the  joy  of  swine,  consisting  in  the  surfeit 
of  the  body. 


294  LUTHER   ON    THE   PSALMS. 

Let  them  ever  shout  for  joy. 

This  verb  Jerome  translated  not  improperly  'shall  praise' ; 
for  some  will  have  it  that  vocal  joy  is  here  meant,  either  that  of 
singing  or  that  of  speaking;  just  as,  when  we  are  joyful  we 
are  accustomed  to  talk  pleasantly  or  even  to  sing,  and  to  talk 
much  of,  praise,  and  boast  of,  him  in  whom  we  rejoice;  as  in 
Ps.  35  :28,  "And  my  tongue  shall  talk  of  thy  righteousness, 
and  of  thy  praise  all  the  day  long",  that  is,  shall  proclaim  it 
with  joy. 

Whether  therefore  the  words  "for  ever"  refer  to  "rejoice", 
or  to  "shall  shout  for  joy",  the  prophet  still  goes  on  in  the 
same  zeal  and  holy  jealousy;  as  if  he  had  said,  let  them  talk 
largely  of  their  good  things,  let  them  boast  of  themselves  and 
theirs,  let  them  sing  of  themselves ;  they  not  only  do  not  truly 
exult  and  rejoice,  but  will  not  even  rejoice  as  they  now  do  for 
ever.  "The  joy  of  the  godless,"  as  Job  saith  20 15,  "is  but  for 
a  moment."  And  as  he  says  again,  21  :i3,  "They  spend  their 
days  in  prosperity,  and  in  a  moment  they  go  down  to  the 
grave". 

So  uncertain  and  unstable  is  their  boasting;  and  even  that 
does  not  last  long  but  is  disturbed  by  many  calamities  and 
sorrows.  Even  if  all  should  go  on  well  and  prosperously  yet 
their  joy  ends  in  sorrow  at  last  and  their  folly  shall  be  made 
manifest  to  all,  as  was  that  of  Jannes  and  Jambres,  2  Tim.  3  :8, 
etc.  Why  therefore  do  they  thus  miserably  deceive  and  destroy 
themselves?  But  all  they  that  hope  in  thee  shall  rejoice  and 
shall  shout  for  joy  for  ever,  and  no  stranger  intermeddleth 
with  their  joy,  as  the  wise  man  saith,  Prov.  14:10. 

Here  we  see  the  fruits  from  which  we  may  know  whether 
we  are  under  grace  or  not ;  for  as  Paul  saith.  Gal.  5  :22,  "The 
fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  love,  joy,  etc.";  and  we  cannot  say  that 
we  do  not  know  whether  or  not  we  have  this  fruit,  for  if  our 
joy  be  continual  and  stable  and  our  praises  of  God  persevering, 
even  under  sufferings  and  afflictions  it  cannot  be  a  deceiving 
sign ;  for,  "by  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them".     The  cross 


PSALM   V.  295 

proves  all  things ;  wherefore,  if  thou  canst  say  with  Ps.  18  :3, 
"I  will  call  upon  Jehovah ;  so  shall  I  be  saved",  thou  shalt 
indeed  be  saved ;  for  this  cross  and  calling  upon  God  under 
affliction  the  joy  of  the  wicked  cannot  endure,  and  therefore 
they  neither  call  upon  God  continually  nor  is  their  joy  stable. 

The  other  fruit  that  follows  is  to  talk  of,  to  speak  freely 
of,  to  proclaim  joyfully,  and  to  hear  the  Word  of  Christ,  to 
extol  his  righteousness,  to  sing  of  his  mercy ;  and  to  detest  un- 
godly fables,  calumnies,  obscenities,  and  such  like  dregs  of  the 
world.  And  can  we  not  feel  and  know  these  things  for  our- 
selves? especially  if  we  are  tempted,  tried,  and  opposed  on 
account  of  them  and  because  of  them,  suffer  envy,  reproach, 
terrors  and  other  evils?  This  therefore  will  be  by  no  means  a 
fallacious  sign  of  Christ  living  in  thee,  if  thou  persevere  in 
thus  praising,  rejoicing,  and  proclaiming  the  grace  of  God 
in  the  face  of,  and  in  opposition  to  the  pride  of  men. 

It  is  not  in  vain,  therefore,  tliat  David  has  added  'continu- 
ally' or  "for  ever"  to  the  word  "shall  shout  for  joy";  because 
when  this  joy  of  the  Spirit  breaks  forth  it  is  sure  to  raise  up 
against  it  the  adversaries  of  the  truth,  as  we  see  it  happened 
to  the  apostles.  Acts  2  :3,  4,  5,  etc. ;  and  because  many  are  to 
be  found  who  praise  Christ  and  the  mercy,  truth,  righteous- 
ness, and  grace  of  God,  but  do  it  not  continually,  because  they 
do  not  truly  hope,  and  truly  rejoice  in  God;  f-?r  they  fall  away 
in  time  of  temptation,  and  do  not  persevere  in  the  face  of  ini- 
quity, nor  at  all  times  nor  in  all  things,  nor  do  they  dare  at 
all  times  to  glory  in  God,  that  is,  in  the  grace  of  God. 

There  are  many  of  this  sort  in  the  present  day,  who  speak 
the  truth  only  before  those  of  the  common  people  who  bear 
all  things,  and  never  before  those  whom  they  fear  and  have 
any  reason  to  believe  will  become  their  persecutors ;  whereas 
it  is  before  the  latter  that  it  is  more  especially  to  be  spoken. 
If  thou  reply,  but  such  are  rulers  of  the  people  and  they  will 
put  us  out  of  the  synagogue,  will  excommunicate  us,  and  cast 
us  out  of  the  city,  —  hear  what  follows, 


296  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

Because  thou  defendest  (shalt  dwell  in)  them. 

This  Jerome  renders,  'And  thou  shalt  protect  them.'  And 
who  shall  prevail  against  us  when  God  himself  is  our  pro- 
tector? If  it  were  not  so  hard  and  difficult  a  matter  to  rejoice 
in,  and  proclaim  the  mercy  of  God  against  the  workers  of 
iniquity  and  the  speakers  of  lies,  there  would  be  no  need  that 
such  an  exhortative  promise  should  be  made  to  us.  David 
himself  knew  that  the  gates  of  hell  would  rise  up  against  our 
joy,  and  therefore  he  says,  but  still  trust.  The  God  of  Jacob 
is  our  helper.  They  will  not  prevail.  He  himself  will  dwell 
in  us.  And  i  John  4:4,  says,  "Greater  is  he  that  is  in  you 
than  he  that  is  in  the  world".  And  Paul,  Rom.  8:31,  "If  God 
is  for  us,  who  is  against  us?" 

By  consulting  the  Hebrew,  I  find  here  an  absolute  verb, 
the  same  which  we  have  in  Ps.  2  :6,  "Yet  have  I  set  my  king", 
etc.;  which  verb,  according  to  Reuchlin,  signifies  'to  ordain', 
'to  constitute',  'to  set  over'.  Hence,  according  to  the  proper 
meaning  of  the  Hebrew  this  passage  is,  "Thou  shalt  dwell  in 
them";  that  is,  thou  shalt  ordain  over  them,  thou  shalt  con- 
stitute over  them,  thou  shalt  be  an  ordainer  over  them,  thou 
shalt  have  them  for  thy  care,  thou  shalt  rule  over  them ;  which 
Jerome  has  rightly,  though  not  fully,  rendered,  :Thou  shalt 
protect  them',  for  the  signification  of  the  Hebrew  word  is 
much  more  extensive. 

In  the  same  way  this  also  is  absolute,  'They  shall  rejoice, 
or  praise'.  As  if  he  had  said  there  shall  be,  and  may  there  be, 
preachers  and  evangelists,  which  is  the  meaning  that  the  signi- 
fication of  the  Hebrew  more  immediately  conveys,  for  to 
evangelize  or  to  preach  the  Gospel  is  to  proclaim  glad,  happy, 
sweet  and  good  tidings ;  which  is  what  the  Hebrew  word 
TERARENU  signifies.  There  are  no  other  tidings  that  are  truly 
glad  tidings,  but  the  remission  of  sins,  the  multitude  of  the 
mercies  of  God,  and  comfort  for  an  afflicted  conscience.  Yet 
that  which  happened  to  these  messengers  and  proclaimers  of 
grace  we  may  see  in  the  apostles,  martyrs,  and  all  saints.     On 


PSALM  V.  297 

the  other  hand  we  know  how  Christ  dwelt  in  them,  ruled  them, 
and  preserved  them.  But,  who  will  dwell  in  these  their  ene- 
mies ?  Who  will  protect  them  ?  Who  will  rule  them  ?  They 
want  no  protectors,  they  are  strong,  they  are  giants  of  the  earth, 
they  are  the  powerful  gates  of  hell  and  the  seat  of  the  devil, 
for  there  the  prince  of  this  world  is  and  in  them  he  dwells. 
Now  follows  the  remaining  part  of  the  verse. 
Let  them  also  that  love  thy  name  he  joyful  {shall  glory)  in  thee. 

Although  Jerome  rightly  translates  these  words  'And  they 
also  that  love  thy  name  shall  rejoice  in'thee',  yet  our  translator 
has  beautifully  expressed  the  meaning  of  the  Hebrew  word, 
which  signifies  another  kind  of  joy  than  that  meant  by  the  first 
verb  "rejoice".  As  I  am  inclined  to  divine,  the  former  signi- 
fies properly  to  have  joy,  to  receive  and  enjoy  in  one's  self;  and 
the  latter  word,  to  cause  to  be,  or  to  make  joyful,  to  rejoice 
another,  or,  as  the  Latins  say,  to  be  pleasant,  juciindus.  If  any 
one  is  pleasant  and  happy  from  the  joy  which  he  experiences 
in  himself  there  is  a  rejoicing  in  gladness ;  as  is  written  Ps. 
68 13,  "Let  them  rejoice  with  gladness".  Again,  Ps.  21  :6, 
"Thou  makest  him  (the  king)  glad  with  joy";  otherwise,  as 
we  say,  we  should  be  filled  with  joy  in  ourselves  and  afford 
joy  to  others.  Hence  we  have  in  i  Sam.  2  :i,  "My  heart  exult- 
eth  in  Jehovah" ;  that  is,  is  happy,  ready  to  proclaim  its  joy. 
And  so  also,  i  Chron.  16  132,  "Let  the  fields  exult  and  all  that 
is  herein".  Here  the  poet  figuratively  called  the  fields  'joy- 
ful', because  by  their  gladdening  nature  they  make  us  joyful. 

Perhaps  it  is  folly  in  me  to  dwell  so  much  upon  words, 
when  there  are  many  other  words  in  the  Hebrew  language 
which  signify  joy,  the  difference  in  which,  I  neither  can  nor 
wish  to  undertake  to  set  forth.  It  is  sufficient  for  us  to  suppose 
that  the  kind  of  joy  here  mentioned  pertains  to  that  affection  of 
gratitude  which  renders  us  grateful  to,  and  happy  in,  our  bene- 
factor, rejoiced  at  his  gifts,  and  joyful  in  such  gratitude;  thus 
bringing  our  returns  to  our  benefactor  and  his  gifts,  as  the 
fruitful  field  does  to  its  cultivator.    That  this  is  the  true  signi- 


298  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

fication  appears,  because  at  the  beginning  of  the  verse  an  ab- 
solute verb  is  used,  "and  they  shall  rejoice" ;  but  here  it  is 
said  "and  they  shall  rejoice  in  thee".  The  former  verb  plainly 
indicates  the  feeling  on  account  of  a  benefit  received ;  but  the 
latter,  the  joyful  returns  of  gratitude  to  the  benefactor.  For 
this  rejoicing  in  joy  is  set  forth  in  Ps.  122:1,  "I  was  glad  when 
they  said  unto  me,  etc" ;  where  we  find  the  same  vv^ord  that 
we  have  in  the  beginning  of  the  present  verse.  I  do  not  say 
that  this  is  a  standard  rule  for  understanding  these  two  verbs, 
but  I  observe  that  they  are  so  to  be  understood  in  this  passage 
from  their  ruling  and  absolute  state.  For  in  the  passages  "Be 
glad  in  Jehovah",  Ps.  32:11,  and  "Be  glad  in  Jehovah,  ye 
righteous",  Ps.  97  :i2,  we  find  the  same  verb  with  another 
governed  word  as  that  with  which  the  present  verse  begins 
in  a  absolute  position.  The  signification  therefore  of  the  verbs 
which  I  have  given  must  be  right,  unless  they  say  that  you  may 
rejoice  in  God  and  in  his  benefits  without  any  feeling  of  grati- 
tude. 

This  moreover  exactly  agrees  with  the  meaning  of  the  con- 
text. For  as  in  the  former  part  of  this  verse  he  describes  the 
joy  in  tribulation,  so  in  the  latter  part  he  describes  the  joy 
in  prosperity,  or  the  rejoicing  in  joy,  which  rejoicing  cannot 
be  true  and  sincere  unless  it  be  a  rejoicing -in  God  only;  ac- 
cording to  the  words  of  Isaiah  61  :io,  "Rejoicing  I  will  rejoice 
in  the  Lord".  All  these  things  we  cannot  vuiderstand  better 
than  by  setting  before  us,  as  we  have  said,  the  generation  that 
is  contrary  to  all  such  rejoicing;  in  speaking  of  whom,  we 
must  invert  the  whole  of  this  verse,  for  they  being  in  adversity 
are  in  sorrow  instead  of  rejoicing,  and  despair  of  God.  They 
do  not  rejoice  continually  and  speak  good  concerning  God, 
but  continually  murmur  and  speak  evil  of  him.  Therefore  God 
does  not  protect  them  nor  dwell  in  them.  On  the  other  hand 
when  they  abound  in  prosperity  they  glory  as  fools,  not  in 
the  Lord,  but  in  their  own  works,  please  themselves,  admire 
their  own,  love  their  own  name,  and  seek  their  own  glory. 


PSALM   V.  299 

We  may  rightly  invert  the  whole  of  this  verse  making  it  thus 
applicable  to  them,  and  say  'And  they  shall  all  sorrow  who 
hope  not  in  thee,  they  shall  always  murmur ;  thou  shalt  forsake 
them ;  and  all  they  that  love  their  own  name  shall  glory  in 
themselves'. 

Therefore  this  verse,  in  a  wonderful  and  brief  way  makes 
a  distinction  between  each  prosperity  and  adversity,  between 
each  generation  of  men,  and  between  each  kind  of  affections, 
and  works ;  and  the  spirit  of  the  prophet  describes  the  whole 
with  a  most  appropriate  antithesis.  For  it  is  impossible  that  he 
should  not  be  filled  with  sorrow,  who  does  not  hope  in  the 
Lord,  when  tribulation  comes  upon  him ;  and  he  who  is  in  sor- 
row cannot  but  continually  murmur,  because  there  isnopraising 
God  without  joy  of  heart,  and  this  sorrowful  and  impatient 
murmurer  must  displease  God  and  be  more  and  more  forsaken 
of  him ;  for  God  dwelleth  not  in  Babylon  but  in  Salem ;  his 
tabernacle  is  in  a  place  of  peace,  Ps.  76  :2.  And  his  spirit  rests 
upon  the  quiet  and  the  humble.    Is.  66  :2. 

On  the  other  hand,  it  is  impossible  that  he  should  not  re- 
joice, who  hopes  in  God ;  even  if  the  whole  world  should  burst 
upon  the  head  of  such  an  one  he  would  stand  unmoved  amid 
the  falling  ruins.  He  who  is  joyful  in  such  hope  cannot  but  think 
well  of  God,  exult  in  his  praise,  and  encourage  himself  in  him. 
The  man  thus  rejoicing  therefore  is  patient,  happy,  and  in  a 
state  to  be  protected  and  dwelt  in  of  God.  Nor  will  such  an 
one  be  permitted  to  rejoice,  hope,  or  exult  in  vain,  for  God 
preserving  will  preserve  him.  This  is  the  dividing  road  where 
'The  men  of  blood'  and  'the  deceitful  nien'  separate  from  the 
men  of  mercy  and  the  men  of  a  willing  mind,  in  the  time  of  the 
storm  and  in  the  hour  of  temptation. 

Wherefore  as  I  have  often  said,  our  Saul  has  no  better 
remedy  against  the  evil  spirit  from  the  Lord  than  that  our 
David  seizes  the  harp  and  plays  with  his  hand,  i  Sam.  16  :23. 
That  means  if  thy  soul  be  sad  and  cast  down  begin  some  joyful 
song  or  psalm  or  something  that  brings  thy  God  to  thy  memory. 


3CXD  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALAIS. 

and  thou  wilt  soon  find  relief  and  wilt  prove  that  the  counsel 
of  the  wise  man  is  good,  "In  the  day  of  evils  be  not  unmindful 
of  good  things",  Sir.  ii  :27.  Again,  "Sadness  hath  killed  many, 
and  there  is  no  profit  in  it',  Sir.  30 125.  For  in  this  case,  music 
in  the  midst  of  mourning,  even  contrary  to  the  proverb,  is  a 
most  appropriate  remedy ;  thus  David  saith,  Ps.  43  15,  "Why  art 
thou  cast  down,  O  my  soul  ?  and  why  art  thou  disquieted  within 
me?  hope  thou  in  God;  for  I  shall  yet  praise  him  who  is  the 
health  of  my  countenance,  and  my  God". 

Again  it  is  impossible  that  the  man  should  not  please  him- 
self, be  puffed  up,  and  glory  and  rejoice  in  himself,  who,  as 
soon  as  any  prosperity  happens  to  him,  loves  and  praises  his 
own  name  and  glory,  and  not  those  of  God.  While  he  pleases 
himself  in  his  prosperity,  what  does  he  else  than  fulfill  that 
common  proverb,  'Mules  rub  each  other'.  For  in  the  same 
way  he  blesses  them  who  bless  him,  and  praises  them  who  praise 
him ;  they  in  their  turn  bless  him  who  blesses  them,  and  praise 
him  who  praises  them;  according  to  Ps.  10:3,*  "The  sinner 
is  praised  in  his  lusts  and  the  impious  are  blessed".  The  god- 
father jumped  the  fence  and  back  again,  etc.  The  last  thing 
that  they  can  do,  is  to  vainly  boast  of,  vaunt,  and  preach  them- 
selves, whose  end  is  confusion,  Phil.  3:19. 

On  the  other  hand,  it  is  impossible  that  he  should  please 
himself  and  rejoice  and  glory  in  himself,  who,  however  much 
serenity  and  happiness  attend  him,  loves  not  his  own  name, 
but  the  name  of  God.  For  while  a  man  is  thus  displeased  with 
himself  and  vile  in  his  own  eyes,  he  will  of  necessity  seek, 
love,  and  speak  of  the  name,  praise,  and  glory  of  God,  saying, 
"Hallowed  be  thy  name",  but  let  my  name  and  the  name  of  all 
men  be  profaned.  Let  all  the  works  of  the  Lord  bless  the 
Lord.  Let  none  bless  the  righteous  but  thou  alone :  let  the 
blessing  of  the  wicked  be  considered  a  curse. 

If  therefore  thou  wouldst  rightly  understand  this  verse  of 


*)This  saying  was  introduced  by  Roth. 


PSALM   V.  301 

the  Psalmist  suppose  him,  or  rather,  view  him,  as  placed  in 
3  situation,  where  beholding  the  life  of  the  wicked  he  is  vexed 
with  a  two-fold  offence.  The  one,  because  all  things  turn 
out  unfavorably  for  him,  and  all  his  words  and  actions  are 
accounted  folly  and  impiety,  hereby  he  is  moved  to  sadness, 
impatience,  and  desperation.  The  other,  because  all  things  turn 
out  favorably  for  the  wicked,  and  all  their  actions  and  words 
are  praised  and  held  in  esteem ;  and  are  immediately  consecrated 
to  immortality ;  which  is  the  most  galling  of  all,  and  more  es- 
pecially irritates  to  offence.  Then  growing  angry  but  not  sin- 
ning, he  speaks  in  his  heart,  he  is  silent  on  his  bed,  and  waits 
for  the  end,  saying  the  words  of  this  verse.  For  if  any  one  ask 
what  it  is  to  speak  and  talk  upon  the  bed  concerning  which  we 
have  spoken,  Ps.  4  •.4,  it  may  be  rightly  answered,  it  is  nothing 
else  than  those  things  which  are  delivered  to  us  in  this  verse, 
for  a  man  to  comfort  himself  in  God,  while  the  characters  here 
described  are  glorying  in  themselves. 

Hence  David  here  preserves  a  most  appropriate  order.  For 
the  temptation  on  flic  left  hand  comes  first  and  is  less  perilous, 
because  on  that  side  only  "a  thousand"  fall,  Ps.  91  :"/,  but  on 
tlic  right  hand  ''ten  thousand" ;  which  latter  temptation  is  much 
more  heavy  and  perilous,  and  is  not  undergone  except  by  those 
who  have  been  long  exercised  by  the  former. 

Each  temptation  is  a  furnace  of  probation,  as  is  written, 
Sir.  27 :5,  "The  furnace  proveth  the  potter's  vessels ;  so  the 
trial  of  man  is  in  his  reasoning".  Again,  Prov.  27:21,  "The 
refining  pot  is  for  silver,  and  the  furnace  for  gold ;  and  a  man 
IS  tried  by  his  praise".  But  how  ?  Because  by  the  former,  men 
are  rendered  sorrowful  and  made  to  murmur ;  while  by  the 
latter  they  become  vain-glorious,  loving  their  own  name,  and 
blessing  themselves.  In  the  former  case  is  found  more  gener- 
ally the  destruction  of  the  common  people  and  those  whom  we 
despise  as  sinners ;  but  in  the  latter  is  the  perdition  of  the  fat 
ones  of  Israel  and  the  chosen  ones  among  them,  and  those 
whom  we  venerate  as  the  wise  and  the  righteous,  that  is,  the 


302  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

ungodly,  according  to  Ps.  78:31,  "He  slew  of  the  fattest  of 
them,  and  smote  down  the  young  men  of  Israel".  And  Is.  5  :i4, 
"And  their  glory,  and  their  multitude,  and  their  pomp,  and  he 
that  rejoiceth  among  them  descend  into  it",  that  is,  into  hell. 

Therefore  God  has  ever  smitten  down  the  high  ones  and 
the  potentates,  that  he  might  terrify  us  and  teach  us  humility 
as  the  safest.  And  hence  it  is  properly  concerning  the  great 
ones  of  the  earth  that  Ps.  76:12  speaks,  "He  shall  cut  off  the 
spirit  of  princes,  he  is  terrible  to  the  kings  of  the  earth".  But 
this  has  been  of  no  profit  whatever  to  tyrants.  Of  whom  do 
we  read  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  that  held  the  highest  place, 
who  did  not  make  his  glory  and  loftiness  memorable  by  some 
signal  fall,  even  if  you  number  the  whole  of  them  from  Adam 
down  to  Peter?  Such  a  care  has  God  ever  taken  to  humble 
the  lofty  and  great,  seeing  that  it  is  necessary  for  the  salvation 
of  those  who  are  under  them  to  cut  down  the  flourishing  state 
even  of  their  honor  or  dignity,  lest  they  should  become  im- 
pious lovers  of  their  own  glory  and  admirers  of  their  own  name. 
But  on  the  other  hand,  there  is  hardly  recorded  here  and  there 
one  of  the  commonalty  as  having  rendered  himself  notorious 
by  a  crime.  We  have  an  Achan,  and  him  who  gathered  sticks 
on  the  sabbath  day,  Num.  1 5  :32-36,  etc. 

CONCERNING  THE  NOMEN  DEI    TETRAGRAMMATON^   OR 
FOUR  LETTERED  NAME  OF  GOD. 

It  is  necessary  to  consider  also  what  'the  name  of  the  Lord' 
in  this  passage  is,  concerning  which  many  different  things 
have  been  written  in  different  languages.  The  Jews  boast  of 
ten  names  of  God,  according  to  the  testimony  of  Jerome,  and 
one  of  these,,  which  they  call  the  Tetragrammaton,  jehovah, 
they  celebrate  with  great  superstition ;  by  virtue  of  which  they 
promise  to  themselves  I  know  not  how  many  safeguards  and 
effects;  whereas,  by  an  impious  disbelieving  and  blaspheming 
of  the  name  of  Christ  they  are  all  the  while  continually  taking 


PSALM   V.  303 

the  name  of  God  in  vain;  and  they  think  of  any  thing  else 
but  looking  to  and  trusting  in  the  name  of  God  for  the  salvation 
of  their  souls.  And  this  same  superstition  has  crept  also  into 
Christendom ;  where  many  continually  boast  of,  rub  with  their 
fingers,  fix  to  their  bodies,  and  carry  about  with  them,  these 
four  letters,  not  at  all  regarding  whether  they  themselves  be 
godly  or  ungodly.  Like  the  Magi,  who  pretend  and  presume 
that  they  can  do  great  wonders  with  certain  letters  and  char- 
acters. 

But  we  as  becometh  Christians  ought  to  know  that  without 
godliness  which  accompanies  faith  all  things  are  superstitious 
and  damnable ;  so  that  neither  Christ,  nor  God,  will  be  of  any 
saving  benefit  to  any  one,  unless  they  be  held  by  faith.  But 
every  name  of  God,  yea,  every  word  of  God  is  of  almighty 
power  unto  the  salvation  both  of  soul  and  body,  if  it  be 
possessed  in  the  reverence  of  faith.  It  is  not  the  name  of  God, 
therefore,  but  faith  in  the  name  of  God  that  does  all  things; 
nor  is  one  name  more  afficacious  than  another.  For  if  the 
four-lettered  name  of  God  only  has  all  this  virtue  and  efficacy, 
the  church  acts  foolishly,  by  not  baptizing  and  performing  all 
her  sacraments  in  that  name,  instead  of  performing  them  in 
the  name  of  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  It 
might  well  excite  w^onder  that  the  church  of  Christ,  which  has 
the  Spirit  of  God,  did  not  find  out  this  before,  since  she  knows 
all  the  things  of  God. 

If  you  reply,  'But  the  Tetragrammaton  contains  all  these 
things  in  it  and  the  perfections  of  all  the  other  names ;  so  that 
when  you  name  the  holy  Trinity,  or  God,  or  the  Lord,  the 
Tetragrammaton  is  named  at  the  same  time'.  Why  then  is  it 
separated  from  the  rest  ?  Why  has  it  not  the  same  effect  when 
joined  with  the  rest  as  when  it  is  venerated  apart  from  them? 
Is  it  so  very  holy  that  when  mixed  with  the  others  it  is  polluted 
bv  their  profanity?  Or  is  it  so  invidious  that  it  envies  the 
others  the  honor  of  being  placed  with  it?  Let  ll.en  all  such 
things  be  considered  as  mere  figments  of  the  Jews.     Let  all 


304  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

Christians  be  wiser,  and  know  that  all  the  names  of  God  have 
the  same  power  and  virtue.  Have  thou  godly  faith  without 
which  not  even  the  name  of  the  holy  Trinity  can  be  of  any 
profit  to  thee. 

But  as  all  those  things  were  intended  to  be  figurative,  and 
as  we  believe  that  not  one  jot  or  tittle  was  written  in  vain,  I 
will  not  deny  that  in  the  four-lettered  name  there  was  a  figure, 
peculiar  and  different  from  the  rest,  which  was  to  be  revealed 
in  the  New  Testament,  and  therefore,  it  is  even  now  held 
ineft'able  and  incommunicable,  and  is  still  held  as  it  was  before 
by  the  Jews,  because  they  most  obstinately  hate  and  recoil  at 
the  mystery  of  it  which  is  now  revealed.  Wherefore  let  us 
consider  (v/hetther  we  be  thought  to  trifle  or  merely  to  cavil 
with  the  Jews),  that  the  four-lettered  name  is  a  symbol  or  sign 
of  the  name  of  the  holy  Trinity,  and  the  name  of  the  Father, 
Son,  and  Holy  Spirit,  now  revealed,  but  then  shadowed  forth 
under  Four  letters.  That  we  may  bring  this  to  some  kind  of 
proof,  let  us  argue  from  the  Letters  themselves,  from  their 
number  and  from  their  signification. 

The  signification  is  this.  Jod  signifies  beginning  (priiisip- 
ium),  He  this  {ista)  Vaf  and.  He  this  {ista)  ;  which,  if  gram- 
matically put  together,  according  to  the  Latin  language,  will 
form  this  sentence,  Principium  istius  et  istiiis;  which  in  all 
things  agrees  with  the  name  of  the  Holy  Trinity;  for,  in  the 
Godhead  the  Father  is  the  beginning  of  this,  that  is,  the  Son ; 
and  of  this,  that  is  the  Holy  Ghost.  To  these  pronouns  this 
(istius)  and  this(istiits)  represent,  in  an  obscure  manner,  the 
Son  and  the  Holy  Spirit ;  even  as  it  was  meet  so  to  be  in  the 
Old  Testament,  wherein  the  mystery  of  the  Trinity  was  not 
to  be  revealed,  but  only  to  be  shadowed  forth.  Nor  indeed  is 
even  the  name  of  the  F'ather  clearly  revealed,  though  by  the 
name  beginning  he  was  more  distinctly  pointed  out  than  the 
Son  or  the  Koly  Ghost.  In  the  whole  of  which  is  signified  that, 
as  Christ  sailh,  Matt.  1 1  127,  neither  the  Father  nor  the  Son 
is  known  by  any  one  but  by  him  to  whom  they  are  revealed ; 


PSALM  V.  305 

even  as  at  this  day  also  the  mystery  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  how- 
ever much  the  name  may  be  professed,  is  known  to  none  but 
by  the  teaching  of  the  Spirit  of  faith. 

It  appears  therefore  that  the  number  and  nature  of  the 
Persons  of  the  Godhead  were  not  less  shadowed  forth  to  the 
Jews  under  the  tetragrammaton  than  they  are  to  us  under 
the  name  trinity.  For  as  when  this  latter  word 
Trinity  is  unfolded,  its  meaning  gives  us  the  Father, 
the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Spirit ;  so  when  the  Tetragrammaton 
is  unfolded  it  gives  us  Priiicipiuni  istiiis  et  istius,  'The  Be- 
ginning of  Him  and  of  Him' ;  which,  though  somewhat  ob- 
scurely, is  the  same,  for  in  each  there  are  alike  Three  Persons 
and  Two  proceedings  set  forth  to  us,  and  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit. 

Secondly,  the  mnnhcr  is  Four.  Here  we  have  a  quadrate 
or  square  plane :  the  first  of  which  itself  consists  of  two  simple 
proportions  equal  to  the  first ;  of  which,  one  is  equal  to  one  and 
tvv'o  equal  to  two.  From  this  two-fold  proportion  or  proceed- 
ing, therefore,  there  proceeds  a  square  figure,  consisting  of 
one  equal  to  one,  and  two  equal  to  two,  beginning  from  unity 
and  ending  in  quaternity.  These  proportions  are  unequal  ac- 
cording to  arithmetic,  but  according  to  geometry  they  are 
equal. 

Thus  in  the  square  of  this  divine  name  is  signified  the  unity 
of  the  paternal  substance;  from  which  proceeds  the  Son,  equal 
to  him  by  the  first  simple  proportion ;  and  from  both  proceeds 
the  Holy  Spirit,  by  a  second  simple  proportion,  equal  to  the 
Father  and  the  Son ;  as  the  proportion  of  two  to  two,  and  one 
to  one,  are  equal  in  geometry.  And  as  this  simple  proportion 
is  of  all  the  most  perfect,  and  as  the  first  is  the  fountain  or 
head  of  all  proportions,  and  the  hole  is  a  figure  V\'herein  neither 
part  exceeds  the  other,  nor  is  exceeded  by  the  other,  because 
one  is  equal  to  one,  and  tv/o  are  equal  to  two  in  all  things ;  it  is 
clear  that  by  these  two  proportions  or  proceedings  in  this  most 
beautiful  square,  or  quadrate  plane,  where  the  substance  is  all 


306  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

one  and  the  same,  or,  by  the  symbol  of  this  Tetragrammaton, 
the  equahty  of  the  Persons  in  the  Godhead  was  set  forth  to 
the  primitive  fathers  in  a  hidden  way.  For  the  Son  is  equal 
to  the  Father  by  the  first  proceeding,  and  the  Spirit  by  the 
second  proceeding  is  equal  to  the  Father  and  the  Son. 

Now  to  this  we  may  easily  refer  those  four  relations  which 
are  so  commonly  used  by  theologians,  active  generation  (gene- 
ratio)  and  passive  generation,  active  breathing  (spiratio)  and 
passive  breathing.  For  these  four  constitute,  so  to  speak,  the 
Triune-God,  even  as  the  four  letters  in  the  Tetragrammaton 
constitute  his  name. 

Thirdly.  The  letters  themselves.  The  first  syllable  termin- 
ates the  first  proportion  in  the  letter  He,  which  is  a  soft  breath- 
ing, indicating  that  the  proceeding  in  the  divine  Persons  is  not 
carnal  but  spiritual,  and  altogether  sweet  and  gentle.  For  if  the 
aspirate  letter  be  extended  in  sound  it  is  nothing  more  than  a 
certain  soft  proceeding  of  wind  or  gentle  blast ;  so  that  it  most 
appropriately  figures  forth  the  proceeding  of  the  Son.  In  like 
manner  the  whole  name  is  terminated  by  the  second  proportion 
in  the  same  letter  of  a  soft  breathing ;  so  that  we  are  to  under- 
stand that  the  second  proceeding  is  also  spiritual  and  not  at 
all  difTering  from  the  former,  except  its  being  the  second  and 
proceeding  from  the  first.  So  neither  does  the  Spirit  differ 
from  the  Fether  and  the  Son,  except  in  his  proceeding  only, 
which  is  from  both.  Since  therefore  these  proceedings  are 
spiritual  and  of  a  most  spiritual  nature,  it  of  necessity  fol- 
lows that  the  whole  beginning  flows  into  the  two  proceedings, 
because  the  substance  is  indivisible.  Thus  the  inestimable  plur- 
ality subsists  in  an  all-simple  unity. 

These  things,  I  say,  and  others  that  may  be  adduced  of  the 
same  kind  seem  to  have  been  figured  forth  to  them  of  old  in 
the  Tetragrammaton  or  four-lettered  name,  but  which  are  now 
indeed  made  known  in  all  languages,  so  that  there  is  no  more 
particular  need  of  the  Tetragrammaton  to  understand  God, 
than  there  is  of  the  whole  Hebrew  language,  and  what  I  say 


PSALM  V.  307 

is  supported  by  the  words  of  Burgensis  when  he  says,  'The 
Tetragrammaton  was  therefore  called  ineffable  or  incommuni- 
cable, because  it  was  not  reducible  to  the  etymology  of  any 
Hebrew  word,  and  its  signification  could  not  be  known  by  any 
analogy'.  Whence  it  appears  that  these  letters  were  joined 
together  by  the  divine  wisdom  and  purpose,  and  so  that  they 
might  form  a  name  without  a  communicable  signification,  ex- 
traneous, and  not  reducible  to  the  nature  of  the  Hebrew  lan- 
guage; in  the  same  way  as  any  ward  may  be  made  up  of 
Roman  letters,  unknown  to  grammarians  and  used  merely  for 
the  sake  of  a  certain  signification  or  commemoration ;  which 
the  Valentians  seem  to  have  initiated  in  their  Greek  word 
abraxas. 

That  name  of  God,  therefore,  was  rightly  called  inefifable 
or  incommunicable,  because  the  sacred  mystery  of  the  Trinity 
was  not  then  revealed,  though  it  was  secretly  figured  forth. 
And  this  name  was  rightly  said  to  be  applicable  to  God  alone, 
because  it  figured  forth  God  according  to  his  substance  and 
internal  nature.  For  the  true  God  is  none  other  in  himself 
than  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit,  or  the  Trinity,  and  all  that 
is  said  of  the  unity  and  the  proceedings,  which  can  be  found 
in  no  creature  whatever;  and  therefore,  the  Tetragrammaton 
can  be  applied  to  no  creature.  For  in  other  respects  the  names 
King,  Lord,  God,  High,  and  the  like,  might  be  applicable  and 
ascribable  to  any  one  that  stands  in  the  place  of  God,  because 
angels  and  men  may  be  likened  unto  God  as  to  his  external 
works,  but  they  cannot  be  likened  to  him  in  the  Trinity  in 
Unity.  Therefore  they  may  bear  the  names  of  God,  but  the 
Tetragrammaton  or  four-lettered  name  and  the  name  Trinity 
they  cannot  make  use  of. 

Now  as  I  think  that  difficulty,  Exod.  6 :2  etc.,  may  easily  be 
solved,  where  many  make  a  great  noise  about  what  the  Spirit 
means  when  he  saith,  "I  am  Jehovah  :  and  I  appeared  unto 
Abraham,  unto  Isaac,  and  unto  Jacob,  as  God  Almighty;  but 


308  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

by  my  name  Jehovah  I  was  not  known  to  them" :  whereas, 
the  four-lettered  name  is  found,  long  before  in  Gen.  4:1,  and 
afterwards.  Now  I  do  not  here  understand  it  to  be  signified 
that  those  letters  of  the  Tetragrammaton  were  not  then  made 
known,  except  it  be  signified  that  they  were  not  then  composed 
or  written,  but  that  the  force  and  true  signification  of  that 
name,  that  is,  faith  in  the  Trinity,  or  the  knowledge  of  Christ, 
was  not  abroad  in  the  time  of  the  fathers,  nor  of  Moses,  nor 
of  the  whole  of  the  Old  Testament,  but  only  secretly  inspired 
and  shadowed  forth  under  figures. 

But  there  are  some  who  think  that  the  Tetragrammaton 
is  the  name  of  Jesus,  the  letter  Shin  being  added ;  which,  in- 
deed, I  wish  were  true  and  proved.  But  since  the  Evangelist 
Matthew,  1:21,  gives  to  his  name  the  meaning  of  salvation, 
where  the  angel  says  to  Joseph,  "And  thou  shalt  call  his  name 
Jesus ;  for  it  is  he  that  shall  save  his  people  from  their  sins", 
and  since  the  Tetragrammaton,  as  I  said,  is  of  no  etymology 
at  all,  it  will  be  difficult  to  defend  such  an  opinion.  Not  to 
mention  also  that  in  the  Hebrew  word  which  signifies  sal- 
vation, or  saviour,  there  is  the  necessary  or  substantial  letter 
as  they  call  it,  ain,  which  the  Tetragrammaton  will  not  admit, 
and  which  the  name  Jesus,  formed  from  it  has  not.  But  I 
leave  others  to  exercise  their  judgment  in  this  matter.  I  have 
thus  made  these  observations  to  guard  all  against  the  supersti- 
tion of  the  Jews. 

What,  then,  is  the  name  of  God,  which  the  prophet  in  this 
verse  says  is  to  be  loved?  This  name  is  not  one  only,  for 
Paul,  I  Tim.  i  :i7,  calls  him  "wise",  saying  "The  only  wise 
God".  And  in  the  same  place  he  calls  him  "The  King  eternal, 
immortal,  invisible'.  And  i  Tim.  6:15,  16,  he  calls  him  "the 
blessed  and  only  Potentate;  who  only  hath  immortality". 
I  John  4 :8,  saith,  "God  is  love".  And  he  is  not  ashamed  to 
be  called  the  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob.    Heb.  11  :i6. 

But  what  would  it  profit  us  to  bring  forward  all  the  writings 


PSALM  V.  309 

of  Dionysius  concerning  the  names  of  God?  What  would  it 
profit  us  to  bring  forward  all  the  works  of  the  same  upon  mys- 
tical theology  ?  We  may  do  this  until  we  should  leave  no  name 
to  God  at  all.  Indeed  how  can  he  that  is  incomprehensible  in 
nature  be  affable  or  communicable  in  name?  Let  us  leave  all 
speculative  attempts  of  this  kind  to  those  who  have  nothing 
else  to  do ;  and  let  us  by  a  simple  understanding  receive  the 
name  of  God  in  the  scripture  before  us  as  signifying,  not  that 
merely  by  which  he  is  called  ,but  that  which  is  proclaimed  of 
him  abroad;  according  to  Prov.  22:1,  "A  good  name  is  rather 
to  be  chosen  than  great  riches".  Again,  10 :/,  "The  name  of  the 
wicked  shall  rot".  And  Ps.  22  :22,  "I  will  declare  thy  name 
unto  my  brethren". 

The  name  of  God  therefore,  is  a  good  report,  praise,  glory, 
the  preaching  and  proclamation  of  a  saving  God ;  as  is  clearly 
shown,  Ps.  102 :2i,  "That  men  may  declare  the  name  of  Jehovah 
in  Zion  and  his  praise  in  Jerusalem".  Here  David  says  that 
the  name  of  the  Lord  and  his  praise  are  the  same  and  are  pro- 
claimed by  the  same  preaching.  Again  we  have,  Ps.  148:13, 
"Let  them  praise  the  name  of  Jehovah ;  for  his  name  alone  is 
exalted ;  his  glory  is  above  the  earth  and  the  heaven". 

But  since  it  is  God  alone  that  worketh  all  in  all,  it  is  a 
necessary  consequence  that  the  name  and  glory  of  all  good 
v/orks  ?rc  due  to  God  only.  He  alone  therefore  is  good,  wise, 
just,  true,  tender,  merciful,  holy.  Lord,  Father,  Judge  and  what- 
ever else  can  be  named  or  applied  to  any  one  in  a  way  of  praise. 

From  this  truth  it  is  manifest  that  as  nothing  is  left  to  us 
either  of  power,  merit,  or  operation,  so  we  cannot  arrogate  to 
ourselves  any  thing  of  name,  and  that  as  we  are  men  and  are 
nothing  but  sin,  lie,  vanity,  and  can  work  nothing  else,  we  have 
a  putrid  and  rotting  name.  So  that  "All  men  are  liars",  and, 
"Every  man  at  his  best  estate  is  altogether  vanity",  Ps.  116:11, 
and  Ps.  39:5. 

Wherefore,  our  name  is  sin,  lie,  vanity,  unrighteousness, 
malice,  perverseness,  and  whatever  evil  may  be  said  of  any 


310  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

one.  When  we  acknowledge  these  things  and  confess  them 
we  do  rightly ;  and  then  we  hate  ourselves  our  own  words,  our 
own  name,  and  cast  them  away  and  lose  sight  of  them  alto- 
gether, and  love,  desire,  and  seek  God,  his  works,  and  his 
name,  saying,  with  Ps.  54:1,  "Save  me,  O  God,  by  thy  name". 
As  if  he  had  said  I  shall  perish  in  my  own  name,  yea,  I  am 
undone  already,  but  in  thy  name  I  shall  be  saved. 

It  is  sufficiently  manifest  therefore  that  all  these  things  are 
spoken  by  the  prophet  against  the  godless  vain  glory  of  im- 
pious hypocrites.  For  as  these  have  the  audacity  to  justify 
themselves  with  the  Pharisee,  Luke  i8:ii,  and  with  Simon 
the  leper,  Luke  7  :39,  so  it  is  equal  madness  for  them  to  boast 
of  themselves,  and  to  love  their  own  name  and  preach  it  abroad, 
to  insult  others,  and  to  accuse,  expose,  and  upbraid  publicans 
and  sinners  with  the  worst  of  appelations.  But  if  godly  and 
faithful  men  glory,  they  glory  in  the  Lord  and  desire  that  the 
name  of  the  Lord  should  be  sanctified,  magnified,  and  glorified. 
All  such  as  these  accuse,  judge,  and  condemn  themselves ;  they 
take  the  lowest  seat,  and  so  are  ignorant  of  their  own  name 
and  honor  altogether. 

But  here,  again,  the  cross  alone  is  the  judge  and  test  of 
truth,  foi*  there  are  some  who  boast  that  the  name  of  the  Lord 
is  loved  by  them.  They  with  great  confidence  commit  to  paper 
such  expressions  as,  'In  the  name  of  the  Lord'  etc.,  'Glory  to 
God  only',  and,  'Glory  to  God'.  'In  the  name  of  Jesus',  and  the 
like.  In  a  word  in  whose  mouth  and  use  is  there  not  that  signal 
and  most  christian  expression,  'Thanks  be  to  God'  ? 

What  could  be  more  fortunate  for  the  church  today,  than 
if  there  were  none  who  lied  and  took  the  name  of  God  in  vain 
when  they  boastingly  make  use  of  all  these  expressions?  But 
alas,  to  find  such  a  one  is  to  find  a  rare  bird  indeed!  For  if 
all  such  love  the  name  of  God  indeed,  and  do  not  rather  love 
their  own  names,  why  do  they  feel  indignant  and  swell  with 
fury  when  they  are  touched  by  being  addressed  in  their  own 
name?  that  is,  when  they  are  called  fools,  or  evil  men,  or  are 


PSALM  V.  311 

loaded  with  any  such  reproach  of  the  same  kind.  Why  do  they 
not  here  acknowledge  their  name  and  say,  'Thanks  be  to  God' 
and  'Glory  be  to  God  only'?  Why  do  they  so  pertinaciously 
resist  the  truth  which  another  professes  before  them,  when 
they,  according  to  their  own  account,  profess  the  same  them- 
selves? Therefore,  the  cross  itself  makes  all  men  manifest. 
So  that  he  spoke  truly  who  uttered  these  words,  "I  said  in  my 
haste,  all  men  are  liars",  Ps.  116:11. 

You  see  therefore  how  soon  such  an  one's  pretended  hatred 
of  his  own  name  is  turned  into  a  most  powerful  love  of  his 
own  name,  as  soon  as  his  false  love  of  God  is  made  manifest. 
For  such  an  one  will  by  no  means  patiently  bear  his  own  name 
to  be  taken  away  from  him,  which  he  nevertheless  continually 
casts  away  and  takes  away  from  himself,  saying,  'Glory  be  to 
God',  'Thanks  be  to  God',  'But  I  am  a  sinner'.  Who  then  could 
ever  discover  this  most  deeply  hidden  hypocrisy,  if  Christ  did 
not  take  care  to  make  such  manifest  by  the  cross  and  by  re- 
proach ?  The  words  of  Gregory  therefore  are  most  excellent 
and  true,  'The  being  reproached  w^ill  manifest  openly  what  a 
man  is  secretly  in  himself.  For  when  this  falls  upon  a  hypo- 
crite he  will  soon  turn  his  thanks  unto  God  into  blasphemies 
against  him. 

But  this  ostrich  finds  a  leaf  under  which  to  conceal  himself 
and  makes  excuses  for  his  sins.  First  of  all  he  lays  hold  of 
Augustine,  'He  that  neglects  his  own  reputation  is  cruel'.  This 
also,  'Thy  conscience  is  necessary  for  thyself,  and  thy  reputa- 
tion for  thy  neighbor'.  Also  that  of  i  Pet.  4:15,  16;  "For 
let  none  of  you  suffer  as  a  murderer,  or  a  thief,  or  an  evil-doer, 
or  as  a  meddler  in  other  men's  matters :  but  if  a  man  suffer  as 
a  Christian,  let  him  not  be  ashamed ;  but  let  him  glorify  God 
in  this  name".  Jerome  plainly  teaches  that  no  one  ought  to 
rest  patiently  under  the  suspicion  of  heresy. 

First,  in  these  matters  we  speak  in  the  Spirit  with  the  pro- 
phet, and  before  God,  —  that  we  ought  to  provide  all  things 
honest  not  only  before  God,  but  also  before  all  men,  Rom. 


312  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

12:17.  And  2  Cor.  4:2,  "Commending  ourselves  to  every 
man's  conscience  in  the  sight  of  God".  Again,  i  Thess.  5  •.22, 
"Abstain  from  every  form  of  evil".  Christ  in  Matt,  5  :i6  says, 
that  they  who  suffer  persecution  are  blessed;  but  then,  it  is 
those  who  suft"er  it  "for  righteousness'  sake". 

Wherefore  it  is  true  that  we  ought  not  to  lie  and  acknow- 
ledge a  crime  before  men  of  which  we  are  not  guilty,  but  rather 
die  like  the  woman  mentioned  by  Jerome,  who  was  beaten 
seven  times.  As  we  ought  thus  to  suffer  death  and  every  other 
evil  for  righteousness'  sake,  when  innocent;  so  we  ought  also 
to  suffer  the  injury  of  our  reputation,  and  not  attempt  any  tum- 
ult to  regain  it,  nor  to  retaliate  with  injury;  but,  though  inno- 
cent before  men,  we  ought  to  confess  before  God  that  we  de- 
served these  and  much  greater  evils  and  losses,  not  only  of  our 
property  and  possessions,  but  of  our  good  name  also.  For 
we  ought  to  acknowledge,  not  our  property  and  life  only,  but 
our  good  name  also,  to  be  good  creatures  of  God  and  the  best 
of  gifts.  We  are  not  to  think  that  we  deserved  these  things, 
nor  to  consider  that  any  injury  is  done  us  if  they  are  taken 
away;  nay,  we  are  to  consider  ourselves  wholly  unworthy  of 
all  these  things  and  are  patiently  to  suffer  the  loss  of  them  if 
such  be  the  will  of  God. 

Therefore  it  is  not  required  of  thee  that  thou  shouldst  con- 
fess thyself  a  murderer  or  an  adulterer,  if  thou  be  not  one; 
or  that  thou  shouldst  acknowledge  any  such  crime  if  laid  to  thy 
charge.  Nay,  thou  oughtest  not  to  confess  or  to  acknowledge 
it,  lest  thou  also  shouldst  lie  as  well  as  the  person  who  may  thus 
falsely  accuse  thee.  Yet  thou  ought  to  be  ready  to  bear  it,  and 
be  patient  under  such  trial,  if,  when  thou  shalt  bear  testimony 
of  innocence  concerning  thyself,  thou  shalt  not  be  believed, 
but  still  criminated.  In  the  same  way  thou  art  not  to  con- 
fess that  thy  life  is  nothing,  or  that  thy  flesh  is  a  mere  shadow 
of  naught,  or  that  thy  gold  is  not  of  the  value  of  copper,  so 
as  to  carry  an  appearance  of  humility.  But  thou  art  to  confess 
these  things  to  be  what  they  really  are;  and  yet,  if  they  are 


PSALM  V,  313 

taken  away  thou  art  not  to  resist,  nor  to  recover  them,  nor  to 
revenge  the  injury  done  thee. 

So  also  thou  art  not  to  resist  those  who  vilify  and  calumniate 
thee;  though  thou  oughtest  to  protest  and  stand  by  thy  inno- 
cence and  not  to  confirm  their  lies  by  thy  silence.  Thus  the 
Christians  of  Lyons  in  France  who  were  some  time  ago  accused 
of  devouring  their  infants  in  secret,  firmly  denied  it  unto  their' 
death.  And,  Jer.  37:13,  v/hen  Irijah  accused  Jeremiah  of  flee- 
ing to  the  Chaldeans,  he  answered,  "It  is  false,  I  am  not  falling 
away  to  the  Chaldeans".  Nevertheless  he  was  not  believed, 
and  he  suffered  himself  to  be  beaten  and  to  be  sent  into  prison 
though  innocnt.  So  Christ  before  Annas  constantly  defended 
his  doctrine,  concerning  which  the  high  priest  interrogated  him, 
and  which  he  in  a  sinister  way  denied;  and  yet  Christ  received 
a  blow  from  the  servant,  suffering  innocently,  and  permitting 
himself  to  be  accused  of  the  crime  of  falsehood  by  the  unbe- 
lieving. 

By  this  same  rule  we  all  must  v/alk  in  our  day,  when  those 
most  ungodly  flatterers  of  the  great,  like  furies  and  madmen, 
most  insidiously  brand  the  righteous  with  the  appelations  of 
heretics,  offensive,  erroneous,  seditious,  offenders  of  pious  ears, 
detractors  from  the  reverence  of  the  popes,  and  such  like,  just 
as  their  own  opinions  lead  them  on. 

All  these  enormities  I  say,  are  to  be  borne,  but  not  to  be 
acknowledged  as  true.  Even  if  they  prevail  over  us  and  are  not 
content  with  the  defence  which  we  make,  let  them  go  on  raging 
and  let  us  confess  to  God  that  we  suffer  no  more  than  what 
we  deserve,  and  that  it  is  not  our  good  name,  but  God's,  that  is 
thus  taken  away,  and  that  it  is  justly  lost  by  us  because  we  are 
unworthy  of  such  a  good  name.  Nevertheless  let  us  within 
by  faith  and  a  good  conscience,  and  without  by  confession,  most 
firmly  cleave  unto  it,  for  they  do  not  take  away  the  good  name 
from  us,  for  it  does  not  belong  to  us,  but  from  God  whose  gift 
it  was  and  from  whom  we  received  it.  Nay,  they  take  away 
our  good  name  from  themselves,  because  it  was  therefore  given 


314  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

unto  US,  that  they  might  by  it  be  moved  towards  God,  being  in- 
structed by  the  Hght  of  our  good  works,  that  they  might  glorify 
our  Father  who  is  in  heaven.  Therefore  they  do  not  in  reality 
take  any  thing  of  our  good  name  from  us,  because  they  cannot 
take  it  from  our  conscience  nor  from  our  confession,  but  can 
only  extinguish  it  in  their  own  opinion,  and  that  to  their  own 
loss.  Therefore  we  have  more  reason  to  condole  with  their 
misery,  than  to  be  dejected  at  our  own  loss.  Hence  when 
we  confess  ourselves  to  be  innocent,  and  by  an  honest  defence 
repel  the  evil  name  which  they  would  put  upon  us,  we  do  not 
serve  ourselves  so  much  as  we  serve  our  calumniators,  and  that, 
against  their  will. 

But  these  ostriches  do  not  defend  their  name  with  this 
affection  and  according  to  this  rule,  but  only  seek  how  they 
may  avoid  infamy,  and  they  never  rest  until  they  have  overcome 
their  own  adversaries,  if  they  can,  and  have  regained  their 
own  name,  according  to  the  rule  of  right,  or  rather,  the  mistaken 
idea  of  right,  by  repelling  force  by  force.  That  they  may 
not  become  cruel,  as  they  imagine,  by  neglecting  their  own 
name,  they  become  both  impious  and  cruel  by  avenging  their 
good  name,  not  as  if  it  w^ere  God's,  but  as  if  it  were  their  own. 

Thus  such  most  perversely  abuse  those  beautiful  words  of 
Augustine,  'He  that  neglects  his  ov/n  reputation  is  cruel',  and 
'Thy  reputation  is  necessary  for  thy  neighbor'.  For  we  are  not 
on  that  account  to  rage  furiously,  and  contrary  to  the  Gospel, 
to  demand  a  cloak  for  a  coat,  because  a  cloak  is  necessary  for 
our  neighbor;  nor  are  we  to  refuse  to  lay  down  our  property, 
nor  even  life  itself,  because  our  neighbor  has  need  of  them. 
In  the  same  manner  our  fame  is  not  to  be  regained  by  force, 
because  it  may  be  necessary  for  our  neighbor.  It  is  enough  in 
all  these  things  not  to  acknowledge  the  crime  laid  to  our  charge, 
and  having  done  that  we  ought  to  be  willing  to  suffer  greater 
things  for  God  and  to  have  our  other  cheek  ready  though  not 
to  acknowledge  that  the  blow  on  the  first  was  deserved  by 
our  sfuilt. 


PSALM  V.  315 

But  that  all  this  zeal  in  such  pugnacious  and  pertinacious 
defenders  of  their  good  name  is  mere  pretense  and  that  they 
speak  most  falsely  when  they  say  that  they  do  all  these  things 
from  love  of  the  name  of  God  and  that  they  seek  not  their  own 
name,  but  the  name  and  glory  of  God.  That  all  such  zeal  is  false, 
I  say,  you  may  prove  by  this  sign.  First,  such  are  found  most 
unconcerned  in  all  other  matters  where  God  is  concerned.  They 
make  not  all  this  bustle  to  do  the  will  of  God  and  to  seek  the 
glory  of  his  kingdom,  which  they  certainly  would  do  if  they 
sincerely  loved  the  name  of  God.  Moreover  they  must  patiently 
suffer  the  same  name  of  the  Lord  and  the  same  good  fame  to 
perish  in  their  neighbor.  Nay,  they  are  themselves  the  first 
to  establish  the  name  of  God  in  themselves  and  to  destroy  it 
in  their  neighbors.  Thus  at  this  day  there  are  many  who  think 
they  cannot  be  Christians  and  of  the  Catholic  faith  unless  they 
go  and  search  out  those  whom  they  may  brand  with  the  appella- 
tion of  the  heretics,  thereby  proving  that  they  hold  one  name 
of  the  Lord  and  worship  one  God  in  themselves  and  persecute 
another  in  their  neighbors. 

Wherefore  believe  not  that  they  are  lovers  of  the  name  of 
the  Lord,  who  are  always  ready  to  brand  others  with  opprobri- 
ous names  and  to  commend  their  own  good  name  only.  A  truly 
good  name  is  the  same  in  all  and  cannot  be  loved  in  thyself 
more  than  in  thy  neighbor.  Thou  errest  if  thou  art  offended  at 
being  called  a  heretic  thyself  and  yet  laughest  and  rejoicest 
when  thy  neighbor  is  accounted  a  heretic.  In  how  much 
worse  state  art  thou  then,  if  thou  defame  another  that  thou 
thyself  mayest  have  a  name?  for  on  the  contrary,  thy  good 
name  ought  to  be  used  in  covering  the  reproach  of  another, 
as  the  comely  members  are  said  to  give  more  abundant  honor 
to  those  members  which  are  less  comely,  i  Cor.  12  123. 

But  let  us  return  to  the  words  of  the  prophet. 
TJiat  love  thy  name. 

We  have  said  that  the  name  of  the  Lord  is  the  fame,  the 
knowledge,  and  the  praise  of  the  Lord ;  and  these  also  must  be 


3l6  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

in  others,  that  is,  in  us  by  faith  and  confession :  it  is  not  our 
righteousness,  strength,  and  wisdom,  that  are  to  flourish,  but 
those  of  God  are  to  be  revealed  in  us  and  in  us  to  increase  and 
reign.  Thus  we  are  baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  that 
we  might  not  live  ourselves,  but  that  God  might  live  in  us,  and 
that  the  name  of  the  wicked  might  perish  in  order  that  the 
name  of  God  only  might  reign  in  us.  And  hence,  as  all  our 
actions  are  his  so  is  our  name.  Thus  both  our  actions  them- 
selves and  our  name  are  to  be  ascribed,  not  unto  ourselves  but 
unto  God, 

Therefore  it  is  not  improper  to  say  that  by  the  name  of 
the  Lord  we  may  understand  Jesus  Christ,  or  Father,  Son, 
and  Holy  Spirit ;  for  all  these  are  names  of  God  to  whom  be- 
longs every  good  name.  Hence  they  who  love  the  name  of  Jesus 
love  also  the  salvation  of  God,  the  truth  of  God,  the  mercy  of 
God,  the  wisdom  of  God,  and  all  good,  for  all  these  things  are 
included  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  If  a  man  love  these  he  must 
of  necessity  hate  his  own  name  and  cannot  glory  in  the  wisdom, 
the  salvation,  and  the  power  of  man,  because  they  are  vain ;  and 
in  this  way  only  will  he  be  in  a  state  to  love  the  name  of  the 
Lord  that  he  may  be  saved  by  it  and  that  God  may  be  glorified. 

Wherefore  let  us  observe  the  peculiar  force  of  each  word, 
"love"  and  "name" ;  for  David  does  not  say,  who  write  of,  talk 
about,  sound  forth,  explain,  think  about,  acutely  dispute  about, 
or  profess  to  know,  thy  name;  but  "they  who  love  thy  name". 
For  who  does  not  see  how  many  there  are  who  talk  much  about 
God  and  his  name  and  yet  do  not  glory  in  it.  The  heart  of  such 
therefore  is  vain  and  their  inward  parts  perverse.  Where  these 
are  perverse  nothing  can  be  done  rightly  ;  and  on  the  other  hand 
where  they  are  right  nothing  can  be  done  perversely,  for  God 
shows  himself  pure  unto  the  pure  and  unto  the  perverse  he 
shows  himself  perverse,  Ps.  i8  -.26  etc. 

What  loving  the  name  of  the  Lord  is,  cannot,  I  think,  be 
understood  in  any  other  way  better  than  by  considering  the 
power  and  nature  of  love,  which  is  not  to  seek  that  which  is  its 


PSALM  V.  317 

own  but  the  things  of  the  object  beloved.  Wherefore  he  will 
be  proved  and  found  to  love  God,  who,  despising  his  own  name 
and  the  name  of  all  others,  desires  from  his  heart  to  see  only 
the  name  of  God  exalted,  spread  abroad,  magnified,  and  known 
to  all.  That  this  may  be  accomplished,  such  an  one  must  think 
of  all  things,  which  he  shall  think  likely  to  promote  the  know- 
ledge and  exaltation  of  the  name  of  God ;  and  that  too  at  the 
expense  of  his  own  property,  name,  and  life,  if  necessary. 
Hence  such  an  one  cannot  be  vain-glorious  but  must  be  a 
prodigal  despiser  of  himself;  nor  can  he  be  proud  of,  or  glory 
in  any  thing  else  than  in  the  Lord  whose  name  he  loves  and 
seeks  to  promote. 

He  therefore  who  in  the  time  of  quiet  and  prosperity  looks 
at  his  own,  pleases  himself  and,  with  the  full  bent  of  his  will, 
seeks  after  his  own  name,  will  be  proved  by  that  furnace  of  the 
mouth  that  praiseth  him,  mentioned  in  Prov.  27:21,  not  to  love 
the  name  of  God  but  his  own.  And  it  is  such  ungodly  charac- 
ters as  these  that  the  prophet  is  attacking  in  the  present  Psalm, 
as  glorying  and  trusting  in  their  own  righteousness.  Concern- 
ing whom  also  the  scripture  speaks  thus,  i  Sam.  2  13,  "Talk 
no  more  so  exceeding  proudly ;  let  not  arrogancy  come  out  of 
your  mouth ;  for  Jehovah  is  a  God  of  knowledge,  and  by  him 
actions  are  weighed". 

Paul  also  glories  that  he  can  do  all  things,  but  it  is  through 
him  who  strengtheneth  him,  Phil.  4:13.  Otherwise  he  glorieth 
not,  except  it  be  in  his  infirmities,  2  Cor.  1 1  :30.  The  blessed 
\lrgin  speaks  of  these  things  briefly  and  beautifully,  Luke  i  :49, 
in  these  words,  "For  he  that  is  mighty  hath  done  to  me  great 
things,  and  holy  is  his  name".  As  if  she  had  said,  I  have  done 
nothing,  but  he  hath  done  great  things  to  me,  who  alone  work- 
eth  all  things  and  who  alone  is  mighty  in  all,  to  whom  on  that 
account  belongs  all  the  name,  and  whose  is  all  the  glory,  for 
he  alone  hath  done  it.  That  is,  the  name  "holy"  which  no  man 
can  attain  unto,  nor  arrogate  unto  himself  belongs  only  unto 
him,  for  when  he  knows  that  he  did  not  himself  perform  the 


3l8  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

work,  how  can  he  have  the  temerity  to  take  unto  himself  and 
glory  in  a  work  that  was  not  his  own  ? 

He  therefore  truly  hallows  the  name  of  the  Lord,  who  keeps 
himself  from  usurping  it.  This  he  does  when  he  acknowledges 
that  no  good  work  belongs  unto  him  but  unto  God  only,  and 
when  he  confesses  him  to  be  that  which  he  is  praised  as  being, 
Ps.  145  :i7,  "Jehovah  is  righteous  in  all  his  ways".  Behold,  this 
is  what  is  enjoined  in  the  second  commandment.  Thou  shalt 
not  take  the  name  of  the  Lord  thy  God  in  vain'.  This  is  what 
we  pray  for  when  we  say  'Hallowed  or  sanctified  be  thy  name'. 
This  also  is  what  is  intended  in  Ps.  11 1  19,  "Holy  and  reverend 
is  his  name". 

But  these  impious  justifiers  of  themselves  rushing  on  rashly, 
continually  pollute  the  name  of  the  Lord,  while  they  ascribe 
unto  themselves  righteousness,  power,  and  wisdom,  and  are 
pleased  with  hearing  their  own  name  praised  in  these  things. 

Whence  it  follows  that  the  greater  the  num.ber  of  the  gifts 
of  God  any  one  of  them  is  adorned  with  the  more  perilously 
he  lives ;  and  therefore  no  mortal  has  more  need  of  the  fear  of 
God  than  such  an  one,  lest  he  should  pollute  his  name  and  as- 
cribe unto  himself  those  things  which  are  the  gifts  of  God,  or 
should  patiently  sufifer  them  to  be  ascribed  unto  himself  by 
others.  This  is  that  temptation  "on  the  right  hand"  where  ten 
thousands  fall.  This  is  that  "arrow  that  flieth  by  day"  and  that 
"demon  or  destruction  that  wasteth  at  noon-day". 

For  this  cause  Gregory  teaches  in  many  places  that  the  good 
works  of  all  saints  are  unclean,  because  they  cannot  sufificiently 
avoid  the  name  of  God,  nor  hold  him  so  holy  and  terrible  as 
they  ought  to  hold  him,  nor  will  they  do  so  until  the  passions 
of  nature  be  wholly  mortified,  which  never  will  be  done  in  this 
life.  For  how  rare  a  thing  it  is  to  find  a  man  who  is  frightened 
and  terrified  at  the  name  and  praise  bestowed  upon  him  and 
shrinks  from  putting  his  hand  on  it  as  a  most  holy  thing  of 
God,  which  it  is  terrible  to  touch  ?    Nay,  we  rather  smile  sweet- 


PSALM  V.  319 

ly  as  if  pleased,  and  like  swine  quietly  suffer  ourselves  to  be 
rubbed  with  this  kind  of  praise. 

Where  then  shall  they  appear  who  like  the  giants  of  old, 
from  an  insatiable  and  maddened  love  of  praise  and  of  fame, 
carry  on  war  against  the  Lord  and  his  name  by  mountains 
heaped  on  mountains,  thereby  endeavoring  to  take  from  the 
Lord  both  his  work  and  his  name  and  to  usurp  it  for  them- 
selves ?  Yet  such  in  the  meantime  prate  nothing  else  but  'Hal- 
lowed be  thy  name',  'Glory  to  God  alone',  'Thanks  be  to  God' ! 
'In  the  name  of  the  Lord,  Amen' :  and  with  such  plastering 
and  daubings  as  these  they  color,  paint,  and  set  off  their  Jeze- 
bel faces.  Indeed  the  world  is  so  filled  with  the  robbery  of 
the  divine  equality,  with  the  profanation  of  the  name  of  God, 
and  with  the  pollution  of  the  name  of  God  that  there  is  not  one 
of  them  who  sees  that,  instead  of  fighting  for  the  name  of  God, 
they  are  horribly  fighting  against  it  and  implacably  resisting  it. 

What  a  sacrilege  it  is  considered  for  the  cups,  the  coverings, 
and  the  linen  of  the  churches  and  the  altars  to  be  touched  by 
the  laity,  because  they  are  consecrated  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  ? 
Yet  none  more  awfully  pollute  and  defile  the  name  of  the  Lord 
than  those  very  blind  consecrators,  those  reprobate  selfjusti- 
fiers,  and  those  most  vain  boasters  of  the  works  and  words  of 
God  themselves,  by  their  polluted  touching  of  his  glory. 

He  therefore  reverently  loves  the  name  of  the  Lord,  who 
with  pious  awe  trembles  to  touch  his  praise  and  good  name 
and  abstains  from  it  as  from  that  ointment,  mentioned  in  Exod. 
30:22-23,  which  was  commanded  to  be  kept  holy,  and  that  no 
other  composition  should  be  made  like  it,  that  the  flesh  of  man 
should  not  be  anointed  with  it,  but  only  the  tabernacle  and  the 
vessels  thereof.  Fer  he  that  thus  worships  and  sanctifies  the 
name  of  God  shall  be  sanctified  by  it,  according  to  Ps.  18 :26, 
"with  the  pure  thou  wilt  show  thyself  pure".  Because  such  an 
one  not  only  reverences  the  name  of  God  that  he  might  not 
touch  it  himself,  that  he  might  not  usurp  it,  and  that  he  might 
not  anoint  himself  with  it ;  but  he  desires  that  this  same  name 


320  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

should  in  the  same  way  be  reverenced  and  held  holy  by  all  and 
that  this  may  be  brought  to  pass  he  omits  nothing-  either  by  do- 
ing or  by  suffering.  Thus  we  read  of  the  saint,  Thomas 
Aquinus,  that  he  made  the  sign  of  the  cross  under  his  clothes 
as  often  as  he  heard  himself  praised.  Which  is  certainly  a 
good  and  pious  custom,  to  show  reverence  to  the  name  of  God. 

Now  the  sum  of  all  that  we  have  said  may  be  set  forth  in 
a  plain  way,  thus.  That  no  one  should  be  elated  by  prosperity. 
This  is  indeed  a  thing  easy  to  be  said  but  it  is  most  hidden 
and  most  deep  to  be  understood  and  can  be  known  by  none 
but  by  those  who  are  brought  to  experience  it ;  as  it  is  written, 
Ps.  111:9-10,  "Holy  and  reverend  is  his  name.  The  fear  of 
Jehovah  is  the  beginning  of  wisdom ;  a  good  understanding 
have  all  they  that  do  his  commandments ;  His  praise  endureth 
for  ever". 

But  they  who  do  not  understand  the  fear  of  the  Lord  in 
any  other  way  than  in  being  terrified  from  the  commission  of 
sin  by  the  fear  of  punishment,  do  not  understand  it  at  all ;  nor 
will  such  ever  learn  to  glory  in  the  Lord,  for  the  fear  of  the 
Lord  is  that  whereby  we  fear  to  arrogate  to  ourselves,  or  arro- 
gantly pollute,  any  of  those  things  which  are  the  Lord's,  that  is, 
his  glory  and  his  name,  and  when  we  fear  to  touch  such  things 
lest  we  should  defile  them.  In  this  fear  we  must  proceed  so 
far  as  not  to  usurp  to  ourselves  either  temporal  things  or  spirit- 
ual, or  to  imagine  that  there  is  any  thing  of  ours  in  them 
but  the  being  allowed  to  use  them  to  supply  our  necessities 
and  those  of  our  neighbors ;  and  as  being  granted  to  us  by  the 
free  bounty  of  God,  to  be  possessed  with  godly  reverence,  and 
to  be  returned  to  him  with  faithful  gratitude. 

The  praise  of  such  endureth  for  ever,  that  is,  that  they  did 
not  glory  in  themselves  nor  in  any  men  that  praised  them,  but 
according  to  Paul,  i  Cor.  1:31,  desired  only  to  "glory  in  the 
Lord"!  As  he  saith  again,  i  Cor.  4:5,  "Then  shall  each  man 
have  his  praise  from  God".  And  Ps.  34:2,  "My  soul  shall 
make  her  boast  in  Jehovah".    Again,  2  Cor.  to  :i8,  "For  not  he 


PSALM  V.  321 

that  commendeth  himself  is  approved,  but  whom  the  Lord  com- 
mendeth".  God  praises  and  commends  those  only  who  take  all 
praise  from  themselves  and  give  it  unto  him  and  who  do  not  de- 
sire their  works  to  be  seen  for  any  other  end  than  that  their 
Father  who  is  in  heaven  might  be  glorified,  whose  name  they 
love ;  and  therefore  he  loves  and  praises  them,  as  he  saith,  i 
Sam.  2  :30,  "For  them  that  honor  me  I  will  honor,  and  they 
that  despise  me  shall  be  lightly  esteemed". 

It  is  however  very  hard,  though  necess^ary,  to  expect  praise 
and  a  name  from  God,  neglecting  in  the  meantime  all  the  names 
and  praises  given  us  by  men,  and  when  they  happen  to  be  given 
us,  to  give  them  all  back  to  God  as  being  borne  with  in  fear, 
rather  than  possessed  for  the  salvation  .of  others.  This  is  serv- 
ing Jehovah  with  fear  and  rejoicing  before  him  with  trembling, 
Ps.  2:11.  This  is  not  being  in  despair  when  tried  and  not  lifted 
up  in  presumption  when  comforted  and  favored. 

V.  12.    For  thou  zvilt  bless  the  righteous,  O  Jehovah,  thou 
ivUt  compass  him  with  favor  as  zvith  a  shield  (thou  hast  crozvn 
ed  us  zvith  the  shield  of  thy  favor). 

Jerome  translates  it  'For  thou,  O  Lord,  wilt  bless  the  righte- 
ous ;  as  thou  wilt  crown  him  with  the  shield  of  favorable  kind- 
ness' ;  he  omits  the  pronoun  "thy",  and  the  pronoun  "him"  is 
more  appropriate  than  the  pronoun  "us"  for  it  refers  to  the 
"righteous".  But  I  think  that  this  genitive  would  be  better 
turned  into  the  ablative,  thus,  'With  thy  favor,  as  with  a  shield'. 
But  the  force  lies  in  the  punctuation :  our  translator  begins 
the  last  verse  with  the  vocative  "O  Jehovah",  which  in  the 
Hebrew  is  the  end  of  the  middle  one  of  the  last  three  verses. 

The  sense  of  this  verse  is  the  same  as  that  of  Psalm  3  :8, 
though  the  words  are  somewhat  different.  "Salvation  belong- 
eth  unto  Jehovah,  and  thy  blessing  be  upon  thy  people".  As  all 
the  force  and  emphasis  of  this  passage  lie  in  the  pronoun 
"thy"  and  the  words  "unto  Jehovah",  so  in  the  passage  now 
before  us  they  lie  in  the  pronoun  "thy"  and  the  vocative  "O 
Jehovah".    The  understanding  of  which  depends  upon  the  con- 


322  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

trast  drawn  between  the  righteous  and  wicked  generation. 
Men  bless  the  wicked  and  curse  the  righteous ;  but  thou,  O 
Lord,  says  David,  shalt  bless  the  righteous ;  on  which  we  have 
before  spoken  more  at  large  in  the  end  of  the  third  Psalm. 

But  David  is  here  explaining  also  the  preceding  verse  where 
he  said  that  all  those  rejoice  who  hope  in  God,  that  they  re- 
joice in  the  time  of  adversity,  and  are  the  care  of  God,  and  that 
in  prosperity  all  glory  in  God  v/ho  love  his  name.  This  they 
do,  O  Lord,  says  David,  because  they  know  that  thou  only 
blessest  the  righteous ;  and  being  instructed  in  this  knowledge, 
they  despise  all  the  blessings  and  cursings  of  men,  who  bless  them 
only  that  love  their  own  name,  but  curse  all  those  who  love  the 
name  of  the  Lord  only,  that  is,  the  righteous.  Wherefore  it  is 
not  without  a  forcible  meaning  that  he  adds  "the  righteous", 
thereby  making  a  manifest  distinction  between  them  and  the 
wicked  whom  men  bless,  and  not  God,  with  a  very  different 
kind  of  blessing. 

Here  again  we  are  to  esteem  the  words  of  the  prophet  as 
spoken  in  the  Spirit.  For  as  he  had  before  called  these  charac- 
ters the  workers  of  iniquity,  malignant,  and  ungodly,  who  be- 
fore men  have  any  thing  but  this  evil  appearance,  nay,  have  an 
appearance  and  form  of  godliness  vvhile  they  deny  the  power 
thereof,  2  Tim.  3  15.  Therefore  the  prophet  by  "righteous" 
here  means  those  v/ho  are  such  in  spirit,  but  who  before  men 
and  in  their  eyes  seem  unworthy  not  only  of  the  name  of  "right- 
eous", but  of  the  name  of  men,  and  who  are  always  considered 
fools,  evil  men,  and  mad  men  in  the  sight  of  those  externally 
?howy  saints  who  rest  securely  in  the  blessing. 

This  disease  or  rather  impetuous  flood  of  ungodliness  pre- 
vails at  this  day  in  the  church  even  unto  despair  of  all  remedy. 
Therefore  whatever  the  great  ones  choose  to  do  they  have  plenty 
to  favor  and  bless  them,  as  if  what  they  did  were  the  will  and 
pleasure  of  God  also ;  and  if  you  doubt  this  at  all,  or  mutter  any 
thing  against  it,  you  must  be  immediately  called  a  heretic,  a 
son  of  the  devil,  and  a  son  of  perdition. 


PSALM  V.  323 

In  this  way  does  the  holy  and  reverend  name  of  God  suffer 
at  present,  in  this  way  is  it  prostituted  in  the  holy  lusts  of  such 
men,  thus  is  it  made  to  serve  the  cruel  tyranny  of  the  Turkish 
ecclesiastics,  and  thus  is  it  made  a  mantle  to  cover  all  things  of 
iniquities  and  all  kinds  of  evils.  So  that  there  is  nothing  more 
horrible  to  be  seen,  if  thou  open  the  spiritual  eye,  than  that 
which  is  in  our  day  ascribed  to  the  Word  of  God ;  for  to  it  are 
attributed  works  the  most  numerous  and  those  diabolical ;  and 
on  the  other  hand,  to  the  name  of  the  devil  are  attributed  the 
best  and  most  Christian  works.  Nor  does  any  one  at  present 
dare  to  resist  and  condemn,  if  any  one  of  these  flatterers  of  the 
great  has  prefixed  to  any  work,  though  the  most  diabolical,  the 
name  of  the  Lord  ;  and  has  dared  thus 'to  introduce  the  plans  and 
designs  of  the  devil  under  the  authority  of  God,  of  Christ,  and 
of  the  apostles.  Unless  thou  hast  made  up  thy  mind  to  burn  as 
a  heretic  thou  must  adore  this  Satan  and  Antichrist,  and  on 
account  of  the  cover  of  Christ's  name  which  they  bear  com- 
memorate all  their  works  as  divine. 

On  the  other  hand  if  God  do  any  thing  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord  to  oppose  these  monsters,  you  must  not  favor  it  nor  con- 
sent nor  assent  to  it,  but  you  must  believe  and  affirm  that  all 
such  things  are  carried  on  under  the  name  and  authority  of  the 
devil.  What  else  does  such  maddened  ingratitude  to  Christ  de- 
serve, than  that  we  should  be  thus  delivered  over  to  a  reprobate 
mind  and  be  left  to  commit  the  unpardonable  sin  against  the 
Holy  Ghost  upon  every  occasion  continually  and  without  fear? 
thus  condemning  God  under  the  name  of  the  devil  and  worship- 
ping the  devil  under  the  name  of  Christ.  Thou  art  righteous, 
O  Lord,  and  righteous  is  thy  judgment.  For  if  God  gave  up 
the  Gentiles  to  a  reprobate  mind,  because  when  they  knew 
God  they  worshipped  him  not  as  God,  and  if  they  were  left 
to  commit  all  those  enormities  which  are  recorded,  Rom.  i,  and 
if  he  also  visited  the  Jews  with  such  terrible  calamity  because 
they  did  not  receive  Christ,  what  evil  do  we  most  justl}'^  de- 
serve to  have  brought  upon  us,  who,  after  we  have  received 


334  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

and  professed  his  name,  have  been  subverted  with  such  maHce 
as  to  mock  and  defile  it?  But  what  a  cross,  think  ye,  these 
things  are  to  those  who  love  the  name  of  the  Lord !  How 
horrible  it  is  to  live  in  these  times,  to  hear  and  see  the  horrible 
insults  and  indignities  which  are  offered  to  God's  holv  name  I 

Let  us  therefore  learn  to  know  ourselves,  and  let  us  set  be- 
fore our  eyes  the  contrary  judgments  of  God  and  of  men,  lest 
we  should  err  with  the  unwise  and  lest  we  should  be  ignorant 
of  the  judgment  of  God  and  should  fail.  This  then  is  a  truth 
that  stands  firm.  He  that  will  become  righteous  must  become 
a  sinner;  he  that  will  become  sound,  good,  upright,  and,  in  a 
word,  like  unto  God,  a  Christian,  and  of  the  true  faith,  must 
become  unsound,  bad,  perverse,  and,  in  a  word  like  a  devil,  a 
heretic,  and  a  Turk;  as  Paul  saith,  i  Cor.  3:18,  'Tf  any  man 
thinketh  that  he  is  divine  among  you  in  this  world,  let  him  be- 
come a  fool  that  he  may  be  wise".  This  truth,  I  say,  stands 
firm.  For  such  is  the  will  that  is  settled  in  heaven  that  God  has 
determined  to  make  men  wise  through  foolishness,  good 
through  evil,  righteous  through  sin,  upright  through  perverse- 
ness,  men  of  a  sound  mind  through  madness,  of  the  true  faith 
through  heresy.  Christians  through  infidelity,  and  of  the  image 
of  God  through  bearing  the  image  of  the  devil. 

Do  you  ask  how  this  is  done  ?  The  answer  is  ready  and  may 
be  given  in  a  few  words.  Thou  canst  not  become  such  an  one 
in  the  sight  of  God  as  thou  wouldst  be  unless  thou  first  become 
such  an  one  in  thyself  and  before  men  as  he  will  have  thee  to  be. 
He  will  have  thee  to  be  in  thyself  and  before  men  that  which 
thou  really  art,  that  is,  a  sinner,  an  evil  person,  mad,  perverse, 
of  the  devil,  etc.  These  are  thy  names,  this  is  all  that  thou  hast 
of  thine  own,  this  is  the  truth  itself,  this  humility;  when  all 
these  things  have  been  brought  to  pass,  then  thou  art  such  an 
one  before  God  as  thou  wouldst  wish  to  be,  that  is,  hol}^  good, 
true,  upright,  godly,  etc.  In  this  way  thou  wilt  be  one  thing 
before  thyself  and  men,  and  another  before  God.  Why  then 
dost  thou  wonder?     Why  art  thou  disturbed  if  thou  neither 


PSALM  V. 


325 


pleaseth  thyself  nor  men?     "If  I  were  still  pleasing  men,  I 
should  not  be  a  servant  of  Christ",  saith  Paul,  Gal.  i  :io. 

But  we  are  deceived  here,  we  do  not  think  that  these  leaders 
of  Israel  are  men  nor  those  who  rage  to  please  them.  As 
though  we  never  had  heard  that  snares  were  laid  for  the 
apostles  themselves  by  the  false  apostles  under  the  name  of 
Christ !  so  delighted  are  we  to  be  deceived  by  their  appelation  of 
blessed  apostles  and  apostolicals,  if  we  can  but  find  that  we 
please  them;  so  that  the  words  of  Ps.  53:5,  (Vulgate),  are 
fulfilled,  'God  hath  scattered  the  bones  of  them  that  please  men : 
they  have  been  confounded,  because  God  hath  despised  them'. 
And  that  of  Is.  3:12,  "O  my  people,  they  that  lead  thee  cause 
thee  to  err,  and  destroy  the  way  of  thy  paths". 

Observe,  I  pray  you,  how  plain  and  powerful  this  defini- 
tion is.  All  are  deceived  who  are  praised,  and  all  praisers  are 
deceivers.  Who  then  would  not  tremble  at  being  praised? 
Who  ought  not  rather  to  be  dispraised  ?  Are  those  then,  you 
will  say,  the  only  persons  who  speak  and  think  rightly,  who 
reprove  all  our  actions  and  account  us  miserable  ?  Yes !  That 
is  the  true  state  of  the  case.  For,  in  Rev.  3:17,  it  is  said  to 
!he  church  of  Laodicea,  "Because  thou  sayest,  I  am  rich,  and 
have  gotten  riches,  and  have  need  of  nothing;  and  knowest 
not  that  art  the  wretched  one,  and  miserable,  and  poor,  and 
blind,  and  naked". 

As  therefore  these  things  are  so,  every  Christian  should 
lake  the  most  diligent  care  not  to  despise  or  praise  according 
to  the  judgment  of  the  multitude  those  whom  men  despise  and 
praise.  For  there  is  danger  here  lest  we  run  against  the 
l.ord  of  life  and  glory  who  as  numbered  with  the  transgressors 
and  still  remains  with  those  who  are  accounted  such,  and  will 
do  so  unto  the  end  of  time;  because  he  justifies  sinners  before 
men  and  condemns  the  righteous  ones  of  this  world.  For  ni 
ihe  former,  his  own  name  is  lost  and  the  holy  and  reverend 
name  of  God  dwells  and  they  are  thereby  sanctified ;  but  in  the 
hitter,  the  name  of  God  is  cast  out,  and  there  dwells  in  them 


326  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

the  profane  and  abominable  name  of  men  whereby  they  are 
polluted. 

For  the  same  reason  you  dare  not  despise  yourself  nor 
despair  concerning  yourself,  the  less  so  the  more  miserable 
you  are.  For  as  no  man  dare  judge  and  condemn  a  sinner, 
nor  despair  of  him,  so  you  dare  not  judge  and  condemn  your- 
self, though  you  have  sinned  against  yourself  and  your  fellow 
men.  Just  so  you  dare  not  praise  and  justify  yourself  nor  be 
presumptuous,  though  you  do  appear  to  be  something  in  your 
own  eyes  and  the  eyes  of  your  fellows ;  but  you  are  to  glory 
in  God  alone  and  find  your  pleasure  in  his  name  which  is 
^'ood  in  the  presence  of  his  saints", 

I  take  it  for  granted  that  the  figure  synechdoche  is  very  well 
iiuown  by  which  "the  just",  jiisto,  is  put  for  the  just,  jiistis,  m 
the  plural,  or  for  a  general  and  distributive  sentence,  thus, 
"Thou  wilt  bless  the  just",  that  is,  every  one  who  is  just. 
Moreover  all  know  that  to  "bless",  according  to  the  manner 
of  expression  used  in  the  scriptures  is  the  same  as  to  praise, 
to  glorify,  to  wish  well,  to  wish  all  good ;  and  is  contrary  to 
cursing,  reproaching,  and  wishing  ill,  either  of  which,  when 
it  is  done  of  God,  is  done  indeed  and  in  reality,  because  he  saith 
and  it  is  done;  but  if  it  be  done  of  men  it  is  nothing  and 
amounts  to  nothing. 

As  we  said  at  large  in  the  first  Psalm  he  is  called  a  just 
or  righteous  man,  who  is  so  in  secret ;  not  in  his  own  eyes  nor 
in  the  eyes  of  men,  but  in  the  sight  of  God.  Such  an  one  be- 
lieves and  trusts  in  God,  and  of  such  an  one  you  may  say  that 
he  is  a  righteous  sinner ;  but,  as  we  have  said,  in  a  different 
way  and  view  from  all  human  estimation. 

Thou  zvilt  compass  him  with  favor  as  with  a  shield. 

That  is,  thou  hast  surrounded  or  encompassed  him,  accord- 
ing to  Ps.  125  -.2,  "The  Lord  is  round  about  his  people".  And 
Ps.  34  -.y,  "The  angel  of  Jehovah  encampeth  round  about  themi 
that  fear  him".  Again,  Deut.  32  :io,  "He  compassed  him  about, 
he  cared  for  him,  he  kept  him  as  the  apple  of  his  eye".     But 


PSALM  V.  327 

all  this  is  done  insensibly  in  the  spirit,  while  you  are  sensibly 
feeling  that  of  Ps.  118:12,  "They  compassed  me  about  like 
bees",  etc. 

Wherefore  this  favor,  this  good-will,  and  this  lovingkind- 
ness  of  the  Lord  are  to  be  apprehended  by  faith  that  he  fail  not 
when  our  Saul  compasseth  us  about  as  with  an  hedge,  that  he 
may  bring  us  over  to  trust  in  him,  i  Sam.  23  :26.  Thus  we  see 
the  various  consolation  which  God  holds  forth  unto  us,  but  all 
in  the  Spirit,  that  he  may  allure  us  to  trust  in  him,  as  we  have 
it,  Deut.  32:11,  'As  an  eagle  enticeth  her  young  to  fly,  and 
hovereth  over  them',  etc;  for,  as  it  is  written,  Ps.  18:10,  "He 
rode  upon  a  cherub  and  did  fly ;  yea,  he  soared  upon  the  wings 
of  the  wind". 

Thus  have  I  spoken  at  great  length  concerning  these  affec- 
tions of  faith,  hope,  love  and  joy,  that  when  they  shall  occur 
again  we  may  dismiss  them  sooner,  and,  having  thus  indulged 
prolixity  once  for  all,  we  may  be  more  brief  hereafter.  Let 
us  therefore  at  the  end  of  this  fifth  psalm  pause  that  when  we 
have  recruited  ourselves  by  a  little  rest  we  may  enter  with 
more  alacrity  upon  the  sixth  psalm. 

As  we  have  thought  proper  to  rest  here  a  little  we  will 
for  the  use  of  some  few  just  add  to  these  crowning  graces  and 
blessings  which  pertain  unto  life  those  two  verses  which  are 
often  sung  at  the  end  of  the  Psalms  in  the  church,  'Glory  be  to 
the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and  to  the  Holy  Ghost',  etc.,  for 
these  are  so  much  like  the  last  two  verses  of  the  present  Psalm 
in  which  we  are  taught  that  the  name  of  the  Lord  is  to  be 
praised  and  loved.    They  are  as  follows : 

Glory  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and  to  the  Holy 
Ghost.  As  it  zvas  in  the  beginning,  is  nozv,  and  ever  shall  be, 
world  zvifhoiif  end.     Amen. 

In  using  these  godly  verses  the  affections  are  to  be  engaged, 
so  that  what  is  sung  by  the  voice  may  be  sung  in  mind  and 
spirit  also ;  for  in  these  is  contained  the  sum  of  all  prayers  and 
affections  in  the  same  way  as  in  that  part  of  the  Lord's  prayer, 


328  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

'Hallowed  be  thy  name',  are  contained  all  the  following  peti- 
tions, and  as  all  the  following  precepts  of  the  decalogue  are  con- 
tained in  the  first  commandment.  Thus  as  the  first  command- 
ment is  the  sum  and  substance  of  all  the  rest  and  that  first 
petition  of  the  Lord's  Prayer  is  the  sum  and  substance  of  all 
the  rest,  so  the  affection  of  this  verse  is  the  sum  and  substance 
of  all  affections,  for  no  prayer  ought  to  be  offered  but  that 
which  has  for  its  object  the  glory  of  the  divine  majesty,  that 
his  name  may  be  sanctified ;  nor  ought  any  thing  to  be  done 
in  work  but  that  wherein  those  things  are  sought  which  are 
God's  that  we  may  have  no  strange  god ;  so  that  we  ought  to 
be  proved  by  no  other  motive  but  the  glory  of  God. 

In  a  word,  by  these  verses,  if  we  use  and  sing  them  in  mind 
and  spirit,  we  in  a  short  way  offer  all  the  numerous  sacrifices 
commanded  in  the  Old  Testament.  For  what  was  their  offering 
unto  God  slain  sheep  and  cattle,  but  the  same  as  our  offering 
ourselves  unto  God  as  men  slain  by  sin,  and  living  unto  right- 
eousness unto  the  praise  and  glory  of  his  grace?  as  Hosea  saith, 
14:2,  "So  will  we  render  unto  thee  the  calves  of  our  lips":  and 
Ps.  51  :t9,  "Then  wilt  thou  delight  in  the  sacrifices  of  righteous- 
ness, then  will  they  offer  bullocks  upon  thine  altar".  And 
Heb.  13:15,  "Through  him  then  let  us  offer  up  a  sacrifice  of 
praise  to  God  continually,  that  is,  the  fruit  of  lips,  which  make 
confession  to  his  name". 

Nor  is  the  sacrifice  of  the  New  Testament  any  thing  else 
than  that  which  is  contained  in  these  verses,  so  that  the  sacra- 
ment of  the  altar  may  be  called  the  Eucharist,  that  is,  a  giving 
of  thanks,  because  in  performing  that  service  we  properly  fulfil 
the  force  and  meaning  of  these  verses.  For  it  is  not  enough 
to  partake  of  the  body  of  the  Lord  unless  we  do  it  "in  remem- 
brance" of  him.  as  it  is  commanded. 

But  how  many  are  there  who  daily  mutter  over  this  verse 
while  there  are  but  few  who  really  do  that  which  it  signifies. 
Wherefore  it  is  necessary  that  every  one  watch  himself  and 


PSALM  V.  329 

remind  himself,  from  the  admonition  and  invitation  contained 
in  this  verse,  what  he  owes  to  God. 

Here  we  do  not  say  Glories  be  to  the  Three  Persons,  but, 
"Glory  be',  etc.,  because  the  glory  of  the  Triune  God  is  equal 
and  the  same,  even  as  their  majesty  and  divinity  are  the  same; 
and  therein  we  confess  the  revealed  holy  name  of  the  true  God. 
In  this  the  highest  faith  is  necessary,  which  is  called  into  exer- 
cise in  the  verses  before  us.  For  those  things  of  which  we 
are  now  speaking  are  incomprehensible  and  the  highest  points 
of  our  faith. 

But  that  we  may  speak  of  these  things  in  a  more  practical 
way,  we  would  say,  let  power  and  might  be  ascribed  unto  the 
Father,  wisdom  and  counsel  unto  the  Son,  and  goodness  and 
love  unto  the  Holy  Ghost.  So  that  let  him  who  sings  glory  to 
the  Father,  offer  up  his  own  vain-glory,  confessing  his  own 
weakness  and  infirmity,  and  let  him  never  desire  to  be  strong 
or  mighty  but  in  God  the  Father. 

When  he  sings  glory  to  the  Son,  let  him  hate  all  his  own 
wisdom  and  counsel,  and,  having  sacrificed  these  beasts,  let 
him  offer  them  up,  confessing  his  own  ignorance  and  foolish- 
ness and  not  wishing  to  be  accounted  wise  and  prudent  neither 
by  himself  nor  others  but  in  the  Son,  his  God. 

When  he  sings  glory  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  let  him  lay  aside  all 
confidence  in  his  own  righteousness  and  goodness,  confessing 
his  sins,  desiring  to  be  made  righteous  and  good  by  God  the 
Floly  Ghost,  and  offering  up  the  opinion  of  his  own  righteous- 
ness. Hereby  it  comes  to  pass  that  we  leave  all  things  unto 
God  and  nothing  unto  ourselves  but  confusion  and  the  con- 
fession of  our  evils,  our  nothingness,  and  our  misery.  Thus 
we  are  just  and  render  to  all  their  dues. 

But  let  no  one  so  think  as  to  believe  that  he  can  worthily 
sing  these  verses.  Let  him  rather  sing  desiringly  than  posi- 
tively, that  his  singing  may  be  rather  a  prayer,  a  praise,  and  a 
giving  of  thanks.  For  there  is  no  one  without  a  vain-glorious 
opinion  of  his  own  power,  wisdom,  and  goodness,  and  no  one 


330  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS, 

to  be  found  who  does  not  take  something  from  the  glory  of 
God,  and  does  not  impurely  make  this  sacrifice. 

This  prayer  is  to  be  offered  as  a  common  prayer,  'As  it  was 
in  the  beginning,  is  now,  and  ever  shall  be,  world  without  end, 
Amen';  that  is,  he  who  sings  this  ought  to  wish  that  all  the 
creation  from  the  beginning  would  unto  all  eternity  glorify 
God  with  him.  Therefore  this  prayer  is  most  weighty  and  ef- 
ficacious, because  it  is  the  most  universal,  wherein  that  which 
is  deficient  in  us  is  supplied  by  the  communion  of  all  saints 
and  especially  by  Christ  himself,  with  which  universality  we 
may  sing  in  concert  most  safely,  for  there  the  deficiency  of  our 
voice  will  be  assisted  and  perfected  by  the  multitude  of  the 
perfect. 

Hence  it  is  impossible  that  any  man  given  to  vain-glory 
should  sing  these  verses  unless  he  would  by  his  horrible  noise 
confound  the  sweet  harmony  of  the  whole  creation  and  thereby 
call  down  and  hasten  evil  upon  his  own  head.  For  such  im- 
portunate discord  which  would  disturb  the  harmony  of  God 
would  not  be  tolerable.  From  this  destructive  vain-glory  there- 
fore may  Christ  himself  deliver  us,  who  is  our  glory  for  ever 
and  ever.    Amen. 

Wittenberg,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord,  1519. 


PSALM  V  I. 
TO  victory;   on  the  organs;   upon  the  eighth,     a  psalm 

OF  DAVID. 

Concerning  'victory'  and  the  'organs'  we  have  spoken, 
in  the  fourth  psahn.  But  the  mystical  signification  of  this 
'Eighth'  has  been  minutely  handled  by  many,  whom  we  will 
allow  to  indulge  in  their  own  opinions,  and  we  will  follow  those 
who  speak  simply  and  without  any  mystery,  considering  that 
the  grammatical  or  historical  signification  of  the  'eighth'  is, 
that  it  means  an  organ,  or  a  harp  with  eight  strings.  For  Ps. 
33:2,  indicates  that  the  psaltery  was  an  instrument  of  ten 
strings.  So  that  the  meaning  is  that  this  Psalm  is  one  of  those 
which  were  sung  'to  victory'  on  the  organs,  concerning  which, 
we  have  spoken  in  Ps.  4  from  i  Chron.  16:19-21,  but  so  that  it 
was  sung  on  the  particular  instrument  of  eight  strings,  that  is, 
the  harp ;  and  the  word  "eighth"  is  added  in  the  title  to  signify 
the  kind  of  instrument  mentioned  in  the  Psalm.  I  am  not 
certain  whether  the  eight-stringed  harp  was  of  the  highest, 
the  middle,  or  the  lowest  kind.  It  appears  that  the  psaltery  of 
ten  strings  was  of  the  highest,  so  that  we  find  that  to  have  been 
used  in  the  joyful  and  festive  Psalms.  And  it  is  certain  that 
the  Psalms  'to  victory'  were  accustomed  to  be  sung  on  the  harps 
which,  by  a  general  appellation,  are  called  'organs'  in  the  titles 
of  the  Psalms. 

It  is  not  however  to  be  doubted  that  all  these  things  were 
figures  of  things  to  come,  and  that  these  eight  strings  were  not 
then  instituted  in  vain  nor  commended  in  vain.  Though  indeed 
I  am  not  inclined  to  apply  them  to  the  eighth  day  of  the  future 
resurrection  only,  but  to  the  present  state  of  the  church  and  to 
a  certain  afifection  and  experience  of  the  believers  in  Christ. 


332  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

Not  that  there  was  not  the  same  state  also  under  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, but  it  was  not  then  revealed.  Wherefore  let  us  meditate 
for  our  mind's  edification  and  consider  that  the  harp  of  eight 
strings  was  the  highest,  the  chief,  and  superior  to  all  the  rest, 
even  as  we  consider  that  the  psaltery  of  ten  strings  was  the 
highest,  and  that  it  was  for  that  reason  distinguished  in  this 
title  by  the  name  'eighth'. 

We  have  mentioned  in  the  beginning  that  the  psaltery  and 
harp  differ  in  this,  that  the  psaltery,  from  having  the  cavity  in 
the  upper  wood,  sends  its  sound  downwards  from  the  top, 
whereas  the  harp,  from  having  the  cavity  in  the  lower  wood, 
sends  its  sound  upwards  from  the  bottom.  By  which  particulars 
are  figured  forth  those  two  sacraments  of  the  death  and  resur- 
rection of  Christ,  and  the  mortification  of  the  flesh,  and  quick- 
ening renewal  of  the  spirit  in  us.  So  that  the  singing  on  the 
harp,  in  the  revelation  of  the  truth,  signifies  nothing  else  than 
the  work  of  the  cross,  the  mortification  of  the  members,  and 
the  destruction  of  the  body  of  sin,  whereby  we  are  raised  above 
all  our  earthly  wisdom  and  brought  to  savor  those  things  which 
are  above  where  Christ  sits.  The  singing  on  the  psaltery  sig- 
nifies the  work  of  the  Spirit,  justification,  peace,  and  the  like, 
which  through  faith  and  hope  come  down  from  above.  Hence 
the  harps  were  properly  adapted,  as  we  have  said,  to  the  Psalms 
'to  victory',  because  the  work  of  the  Lord,  that  is,  the  cross  of 
Christ,  requires  exhortation  that  we  may  endure  unto  the  end 
and  may  by  perseverance  obtain  the  victory. 

Since  in  this  Psalm  that  sum  of  the  "ross  and  mortification 
and  that  very  brink  of  death,  that  is,  hell,  are  described,  it  was 
not  properly  said  to  be  on  the  highest  harp,  that  is,  the  'eighth', 
and  the  eighth  number  very  frequently  occurs  and  is  a  sacred 
number  in  the  Holy  Scriptures ;  as  Jerome  shows  from  the 
eighth  day  of  circumcision  and  from  the  eight  souls  that  were 
saved  in  the  ark  of  Noah,  and  David  also  is  said  to  be  the  eighth 
son  of  Jesse,  and  Zacharias  the  father  of  John  received  his 
speech  on  the  eighth  day,  and  the  like.     Moreover  eight  is  i 


PSALM  VI.  333 

solid  number,  a  square,  and  an  equal  to  equal,  consisting  of  six 
equal  sides,  having  twenty-four  plane-triangles  and  eight  solid 
ones,  like  a  die;  which  square  figure  is  also  frequently  used 
in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  it  is  by  philosophers  applied  to  sig- 
nify equality  and  stability.  Again  the  number  six,  which  is  the 
number  of  this  Psalm,  is  the  first  number  of  perfection,  so  that 
by  it  is  signified  the  solid,  stable,  perfect,  and  absolute  morti- 
fication of  the  old  man  by  what  is  sung  on  this  harp,  which  mor- 
tification is  truly  described  in  the  present  Psalm.  But  why  this 
same  title  is  not  prefixed  to  all  the  Psalms  on  the  same  subject 
we  desire  to  remain  in  ignorance,  to  use  the  words  of  Augustine, 
because  God  has  not  willed  that  we  should  know  the  reason. 

Wherefore  the  words  of  this  Psalm  will  suit  him  who  is 
singing  on  the  eight  strings,  that  is,  who  is  exercised  under  the 
extreme  pains  of  death  and  hell,  as  the  words  of  the  Psalm 
themselves  show.  Hence  according  to  my  judgment,  this  Psalm 
contains  the  experience  of  what  was  taught  in  the  Psalm  pre- 
ceding. For  we  there  said  that  the  nature  and  power  of  hope 
were  shown  and  exercised  in  man  while  laboring  in  the  midst 
of  evils  and  sins.  What  the  feelings,  the  surges  of  mind,  the 
groans,  and  sighs,  and  the  words  and  counsels  of  such  an  one 
are,  we  have  set  forth  in  the  Psalm  under  consideration. 

Wherefore  we  are  to  consider  that  the  words  and  doctrine 
contained  in  this  Psalm  are  general,  that  is,  are  applicable  not 
only  to  Christ  himself,  but  unto  any  Christian  who  suflfers  these 
things.  Now  according  to  my  opinion  when  the  pain  of  purga- 
tory, the  fear  of  death  and  the  horror  of  hell  present  themselves 
because  of  the  lack  of  the  right  and  perfect  love,  it  is  very  be- 
coming for  the  church  to  pray  this  psalm  in  the  person  of  the 
dying.     Nothing  more  suitable  can  be  prayed. 

For  those  who  are  in  this  state  and  exercised  with  these 
things  and  are  instructed  thereby,  are  sure  to  have  an  impla- 
cable war  raised  against  them  by  the  workers  of  iniquity  who, 
depending  on  their  ov/n  works  and  teaching  others  to  do  the 
same,  always  most  pestilentially  resist  this  mortification.     For 


334  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

it  is  not  our  works,  but  the  work  of  God,  that  is  here  going  on, 
which  must  be  endured  alone  by  a  patiently-suffering  hope; 
for  such  an  one  cannot  be  delivered  from,  nor  conforted  under 
this  work  by  any  works  of  men  ;  nay  when  placed  in  this  excess, 
one  sees  that  "all  men  are  liars".  Hence  the  Psalmist  here  most 
severely  attacks,  not  persecutors,  but  the  workers  of  iniquity 
and  crafty  counsellors,  who  under  a  show  of  kindness  are  in- 
jurious opposers  of  this  work  of  God,  for  their  opinion  will 
never  endure  to  hear  that  these  things  are  sent  and  wrought 
of  God,  being  always  authors  and  teachers  of  despair  and  pre- 
sumption but  never  of  hope. 

Nor  are  we  to  think  that  all  believers  in  Christ  are  exercised 
with  the  things  which  are  set  forth  in  this  Psalm.  For  all  are 
not  proved  by  all  kinds  of  temptations,  though  all  are  proved 
by  many  and  various  temptations.  So  in  the  Gospel  we  do  not 
read  of  more  than  one,  the  woman  of  Canaan  from  Syropheni- 
cia,  who  was  exercised  with  this  kind  of  temptation  and  passion, 
which  was  when  Christ  refused  to  hear  either  her  own  cry  or 
the  intercession  of  his  desciples,  and  while  she  suffered  being 
compared  unto  dogs  and  not  unto  the  children,  and  being  most 
positively  denied.  The  rest  ere  blind,  or  halt,  or  laboring  under 
some  such  bodily  calamities  and  diseases. 

So  also  the  temptations  here  described  happen  principally 
unto  those  who  are  of  great  faith,  and,  as  it  was  said  of  David, 
who  are  men  "after  God's  own  heart".  Yet  the  nature  of  this 
temptation  is  to  be  learned  that  we  may  readily  if  at  any  time 
God  shall  will  to  prove  us  by  such  a  day  of  trial. 

Why  should  we  not  endeavor  also,  as  many  have,  to  find 
the  order  which  is  observed  in  the  preceding  Psalms  with  the 
intent  to  seek  and  know  their  peculiar  variety  ?  for  these  various 
Psalms  contain  various  and  particular  designs  and  experiences. 

The  First  Psalm  seems  to  set  forth  to  us  the  perfect  image 
of  a  godly  man  or  of  the  people  of  God,  though  in  short 
and  general  words  and  terms,  and  there  is  set  forth  such  a  godly 
man  as  all  the  Psalms  afterward  speak  of,  one  that  is  spirit- 


PSALM  VI.  335 

ual,  that  is  delighted  only  with  the  law  of  the  Lord,  and  that 
is  not  moved  by  any  prosperity  or  adversity.  Then  it  sets 
forth  the  opposite  image  of  the  ungodly,  and  afterwards  the 
end  of  each,  showing  that  God  knows  the  former  but  not  the 
latter,  and  that  therefore  the  latter  shall  perish,  but  the  former 
shall  be  saved.  So  that  the  First  Psalm  seems  to  be  placed 
most  rightly  at  the  beginning  as  the  argument  of,  or  introduc- 
tion to,  all  the  rest,  in  which  we  may  see  what  is  taught 
throughout  the  whole  Psalter. 

The  Second  Psalm  teaches  that  Christ  is  the  head  and 
author  of  the  godly  people.  Then  it  shows  where  and  whence 
his  kingdom  is  and  to  what  extent  it  shall  be  enlarged ;  namely, 
that  it  is  from  Zion  and  shall  be  extended  to  the  uttermost  parts 
of  the  earth  in  defiance  of,  and  contrary  to,  the  will  of  all  the 
adversaries  who  shall  fight  against  it  in  vain.  Lastly  it  shows 
the  nature  and  manner  of  this  kingdom,  that  all  the  subjects 
of  it  serve  in  fear  and  joy  and  are  prepared  to  trust  and  hope 
in  Christ  in  the  time  of  his  anger. 

In  the  Third  Psalm  the  Head  and  King  of  this  faithful 
people  himself  is  introduced  as  an  example  of  suffering  and  of 
glorification,  showing  that  he  is  not  a  leader  in  name  only,  who 
commands  and  requires  many  things  to  be  done  and  does  noth- 
ing himself;  but  one  who  goes  before  the  people  over  whom 
he  is  appointed  in  the  most  lawful  office  of  leader,  one  who 
is  powerful  and  "mighty  in  word  and  deed",  and  who  begins 
"to  do  and  to  teach". 

In  the  Fourth  Psalm  the  people  thus  constituted  follow 
their  leader  through  sufferings.  First  of  all,  they  are  led 
into  temporal  and  lighter  sufferings  in  which  they  are  exercised 
and,  despising  all  the  abundance  and  good  things  of  this  life, 
which  are  signified  by  the  abounding  in  corn,  wine,  and  oil, 
they  are  led  into  hope,  in  which  they  sleep  in  pc.ice.  This  is 
the  first  and  lowest  degree  of  the  cross  which  is  thus  set  forth 
for  beginners  and  those  who  are  more  tender. 

In  the  Fifth  Psalm  this  people,  being  strengthened  by 


336  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

temporal  sufferings,  are  brought  under  the  spiritual  and  more 
perilous  temptations  described  by  the  Word,  wherein  Satan 
attacks  them  with  heretical  cogitations,  that  is,  perverse  opin- 
ions, which  fight  against  pure  faith  and  hope.  They  have, 
moreover,  to  contend  against  that  greatest  of  all  spiritual  beasts, 
pride,  which  arises  out  of  their  very  prosperity  and  through 
v/hich  the  angels  fell  from  heaven.  Here  therefore  the  feel- 
ings and  exercises  are  more  vehement  and  increased.  Here 
the  powers  of  the  soul  especially  suffer  and  the  spirit  agonizes 
for  the  truth  and  the  sincerity  of  faith. 

This  is  the  kind  of  exercise  which  we  find  in  Paul  when  con- 
tending against  the  Jews  and  the  false  apostles. 

Then  in  the  Sixth  Psalm  which  contains  the  last  and 
finishing  conflict  we  have  their  contending  with  death  and 
hell,  which  kind  of  conflict  is  endured,  not  with  men,  nor 
with  temporal  nor  spiritual  things,  but  it  is  inward  in  the 
Spirit ;  nay  rather,  it  is  out  of,  and  above  the  Spirit,  and  is  in 
that  extreme  ecstasy  where  no  one  hears,  sees,  or  feels  any 
thing  but  the  Spirit  who  with  groanings  that  cannot  be  uttered, 
makes  intercession  for  the  saints  and  wrestles  in  a  certain 
way  with  God  himself.  No  name  can  be  given  to  this  wrestling 
prayer,  nor  can  any  one  know  what  it  is  but  by  experience. 
But  let  us  now  enter  the  particulars  of  this  Psalm. 

V.  I.  —  O  Jehovah,  rebuke  me  not  in  thine  anger,  neither 
chasten  me  in  thy  hot  displeasure. 

A  question  has  been  raised  whether  there  is  any  difference 
between  anger  and  hot  displeasure,  and  any  difference  between 
rebuking  and  chastening.  Now  we  know  that  in  other  places 
of  the  scriptures,  rebuking  and  chastening  are  put  together, 
as  in  Rev.  3:19,  "As  many  as  I  love  I  rebuke  and  chasten  :  be 
zealous  therefore  and  repent";  so  that  this  last  word  is  the 
same  as  chastening  or  disciplining.  Those  who  wish  to  con- 
sider this  as  a  repition  only  Ave  will  leave  to  indulge  their  own 
opinions.  But  we  will,  in  the  mean  time,  make  this  distinction, 
that  rebuking  is  reprehending,  and  cliastening,  chastising  or 


PSALM  VI.  337 

striking  the  person  when  reprehended;  which  is  according  to 
general  usage  among  men,  where  the  criminal  is  first  accused 
and  reprehended  and  then,  after  the  sentence  has  been  pro- 
nounced, led  to  punishment.  So  when  children  have  done 
wrong  they  are  first  rebuked  and  chided  and  then  beaten. 

This  rebuking  in  the  experience  of  the  heart  and  spirit  is  a 
dread  and  horror  of  conscience  before  the  face  of  God,  under 
which  Christ  groaned  for  us  in  the  garden ;  as  Isaiah  predicted 
of  him,  53  :ii,  saying,  "He  shall  see  of  the  travail  of  his  soul". 

And  when  he  began  to  be  sorrowful  and  very  heavy  he  said. 
Matt.  26 138,  "My  soul  is  exceeding  sorrowful  even  unto  death". 
For  in  this  state  the  soul,  being  left  destitute  of  all  confidence, 
finds  herself  in  a  horrible  condition  as  a  guilty  criminal  stand- 
ing alone  before  the  tribunal  of  the  eternal  and  angry  God. 
Of  this  state  Job  saith,  9:12,  "If  He  examine  on  a  sudden, 
who  shall  answer  him?"  For  in  this  examining  every  one 
must  be  dumb,  like  that  guest  mentioned,  Matt.  22:11,  12,  who, 
when  asked  why  he  came  in  not  having  on  a  w^edding  gar- 
ment, was  speechless.  Then  that  which  is  mentioned  in  the 
same  chapter,  verse  13,  "Bind  his  hand  and  foot  and  cast  him 
out  into  the  outer  darkness",  expressed  what  is  here  exper- 
ienced in  the  being  'chastened  in  anger'.  For  the  conscience, 
being  reprehended  and  convicted,  immediately  feels  nothing 
else  than  that  eternal  damnation  is  its  portion. 

No  one  can  understand  this  deep  experience  nor  indeed  the 
inferior  kinds  of  it  but  he  who  has  tasted  it ;  and  therefore  we 
cannot  fully  describe  it.  Job  experienced  it  more  than  any 
other,  and  that  frequently.  And  after  him  David  and  king 
Hezekiah,  as  recorded,  Isaiah  38:10  etc.,  and  a  few  others. 
Lastly  the  German  divine  John  Tauler  makes  frequent  men- 
tion of  it  in  his  sermons. 

This  temptation  seems  to  me  to  be  the  same  as  that  which 
Christ  mentions,  Luke  21  :25  etc.,  where,  among  other  evils 
of  the  last  time,  he  enumerates  terrors  from  the  heavens,  under 
which  men's  hearts  shall  fail  them  for  fear  and  for  looking 


338  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

after  those  things  which  are  coming  on  the  earth ;  so  that  the 
worst  and  most  perilous  tribulation  shall  be  in  the  last  and 
most  perilous  time.  But  we  see  many  even  now  suffering 
those  things,  and,  from  not  knowing  any  remedy  turning  away 
into  madness  and  continually  sorrowing,  wasting  away,  and 
consuming.  Under  this  some  of  the  fathers  have  also  labored 
in  the  desert. 

Let  no  one  pratingly  contend  with  us  nor  presumie  so  much 
upon  his  stupid  brains,  as  to  pretend  to  come  forward  and 
make  a  seperate  distinction  between  servile  fear  and  love,  and 
say  that  they  do  not  exist  together.  This  work  of  God  is  not 
to  be  comprehended  by  any  capacious  understanding:  there 
is  darkness  upon  the  face  of  this  deep ;  and  there  may  be  to- 
gether a  most  servile  fear,  a  fleeing  from  punishment,  and  a 
most  servile  fear,  a  fleeing  from  punishment,  and  a  most  ardent 
love.  As  Christ  saith,  Ps.  142:4,  "Refuge  hath  failed  me;  and 
no  man  cared  for  my  soul".  Love  lies  in  a  most  secret  depth, 
but  servile  fear  appears  and  is  felt  with  intolerable  violence ; 
the  spirit  is  borne  upon  the  top  of  the  waters  and  nothing  is 
left  but  a  groan  that  cannot  be  uttered.  Finally  what  this  tribu- 
lation is  and  v/hat  it  worketh  may  be  collected  from  the  various 
features  of  it  v/hich  this  Psalm  enumerates. 

First  of  all  David  prays  for  the  removal  of  the  wrath  and 
fury  of  God,  v/hich  he  would  not  have  done  if  he  had  not  felt 
his  anger  and  fury.  He  does  not  however  refuse  to  be  rebuked 
and  chastened  but  prays  that  it  may  be  done  in  mercy;  as  we 
have  it  also,  Ps.  26  :2,  "Examine  me,  O  Jehovah,  and  prove  me; 
try  my  reins  and  my  heart".  And  Ps.  139  -.22),  24,  "Search  me, 
O  God,  and  know  my  heart :  try  me,  and  know  my  thoughts ; 
and  see  if  there  be  any  wicked  way  in  me". 

Wherefore  in  this  verse  we  have  a  twofold  rod  of  God 
described ;  the  one  of  mercy  and  the  other  of  anger;  This 
also  Jeremiah  saith,  10:24,  "O  Jehovah,  correct  me,  but  in 
measure ;  not  in  thine  anger,  lest  thou  bring  me  to  nothing". 
And  Job  says,  7 :20,  "Why  hast  thou  set  me  as  a  mark  for 


PSALM  VI.  339 

thee?"  And  verse  17,  "What  is  man,  that  thou  shouklst  mag- 
nify him?  and  that  thou  shouldst  set  thine  mind  upon  him?" 
This  tribulation  is  also  called  in  the  scriptures  the  day  of  visita- 
tion and  the  day  of  beholding ;  because  God  tortures  the  wicked 
only  by  his  looking  upon  them,  which  is  intolerable;  as  we 
have  it,  Hab.  3  :6,  "He  beheld,  and  drove  asunder  the  nations, 
and  the  eternal  mountains  were  scattered".  Thus  also,  Exod. 
14  :24,  we  read  that  the  Lord  only  "looked"  upon  the  hosts  of 
the  Egyptians,  and  that  terror  and  confusion  immediately 
seized  them.  In  a  word,  this  is  that  day  of  judgment  and 
eternal  destruction,  which  no  one  can  ward  off,  no  one  can 
avoid  or  escape,  unless  by  hope  he  lay  hold  of  the  mercy  of 
God  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord. 

This  Psalm  teaches  us  that  if  any  one  be  pressed  in  these 
straits,  he  should  flee  unto  no  other  than  the  angry  God 
himself.  But  this  is  a  matter  most  difficult  and  painful ;  in  a 
word,  this  is  hoping  against  hope  and  indeed  a  striving  against 
impossibilities,  as  far  as  the  feelings  and  apprehension  of  the 
person  are  concerned.  For  here  is  that  most  miserable  conflict 
which  Hezekiah  describes  in  his  own  experience,  Is.  38:14, 
"O  Jehovah,  I  am  oppressed,  be  thou  m^y  surety".  And  im- 
mediately afterwards,  as  if  he  had  felt  a  denial,  he  adds,  'what 
shall  I  say?  he  hath  both  spoken  unto  me,  and  himself  hath 
done  it'.  As  if  he  had  said,  like  Job  9:16,  "If  I  had  called 
and  he  had  answered  me,  yet  would  I  not  believe  that  he  had 
hearkened  unto  my  voice".  So  much  do  hope  and  despair  al- 
ternately prevail  here,  that  even  if  those  who  call  upon  God 
are  heard  ,yet  they  feel  it  not  and  do  not  even  believe  that  their 
voice  is  heard. 

Therefore  when  this  Psalm  saith  "in  fliy  fury",  the  Psalmist 
thereby  confesses  that  what  he  suft'ers  is  from  God ;  so  that  he 
might  say,  what  shall  I  say?  what  will  he  answer  me?  will 
he  hear  me?  will  it  do  me  any  good  to  pray  when  I  know 
that  he  himself  has  done  these  things? 

Wherefore  if  men  have  not  learned  in  lighter  temptations  to 


340  LUTHEK  ON  THE  PSALMS, 

flee  unto  him  that  smiteth  them,  that  is,  unto  God,  as  the 
prophet  Isaiah,  in  the  eighth  chapter,  most  fully  teaches  ought 
to  be  done,  how  will  they  turn  and  flee  unto  him  under  this 
greatest  of  all  pressures  where  it  is  felt  that  God  himself 
worketh  them? 

Wherefore  all  other  temptations  are  the  most  perfect  exam- 
ples of  this,  and  are,  as  it  were,  pre-instructions  and  preludes 
to  it,  wherein  we  are  taught  always  to  flee  unto  God  against 
God  as  it  were.  From  this  verse  I  have  taken  what  I  dis- 
cussed before  concerning  suffering  of  the  soul  in  purgatory, 
that  doubt  seemed  to  me  to  like  purgatory  and  almost  hell 
itself,  from  which  souls  could  not  be  delivered  through  inter- 
cessions or  indulgences,  but  only  through  the  prayers  of  the 
church,  or  they  may  be  purified  and  perfected  in  love  by 
the  punishment  of  purgatory,  or  make  satisfaction  for  their 
sins,  which  is  something  I  do  not  understand.  For  indulgences 
can  not  help  the  living  who  tolerate  these  things.  For  only 
the  intercession  of  believers  can  help  them. 

Here  then  we  are  to  know  that  the  doctrine  of  this  Psalm 
is  most  diligently  to  be  observed  by  them  that  suffer  these 
things ;  that  they  may  not  wander  away,  may  not  complain, 
and  may  not  seek  the  consolations  of  men,  but  may  stand  alone 
and  endure  the  hand  of  God,  and,  with  the  prophet  may  never 
turn  any  where  but  unto  God,  saying,  "O  Lord,  rebuke  me  not 
in  thine  anger".  If  they  do  not  continue  in  this  prudence,  as 
those  consecrated  to  these  things  recommended,  then  to  their 
great  ruin  they  fall  from  the  hand  of  God,  who  heals  and 
cleanses  them,  in  that  they  flee  to  the  miserable  consolation 
of  a  weak  creature,  just  as  when  the  clay  falls  from  the  hand 
of  the  potter  and  is  crushed  to  pieces,  so  that  it  is  entirely 
useless  or  it  deserves  to  be  cast  away  as  good  for  nothing. 

This  is  what  Jeremiah  in  Lam.  3  :24-2g,  most  fully  and 
beautifully  teaches,  "Jehovah  is  my  portion,  saith  my  soul ; 
therefore  will  I  hope  in  him.  Jehovah  is  good  unto  them  that 
wait  for  him,  to  the  soul  that  seeketh  him.     It  is  good  that  a 


PSALM  VI.  341 

man  should  hope  and  quietly  wait  for  the  salvation  of  Jehovah. 
It  is  good  for  a  man  that  he  bear  the  yoke  in  his  youth.  Let 
him  sit  alone  and  keep  silence,  because  he  hath  laid  it  upon 
him.  Let  him  put  his  mouth  in  the  dust,  if  so  be  there  may 
be  hope" ;  that  is,  he  hideth  his  face  and  sayeth  nothing,  as 
if  he  were  buried  in  the  dust  with  the  dead. 

And  it  is  under  the  same  feelings  that  those  words  of  Ps. 
143  :3,  4,  were  written,  "He  hath  made  me  to  dwell  in  dark 
places,  as  those  that  have  been  long  dead.  Therefore  is  my 
spirit  overwhelmed  within  me ;  my  heart  within  me  is  desolate". 
In  this  silence  and  in  this  solitude,  this  purging  and  cleansing 
are  accomplished.  As  is  also  in  Ps.  55  :4-8,  "My  heart  is  sore 
pained  within  me :  and  the  terrors  of  death  are  fallen  upon 
me.  Fearfulness  and  trembling  are  come  upon  me,  and  horror 
hath  overwhelmed  me.  And  I  said,  O  that  I  had  wings  like 
a  dove,  then  would  I  flee  away  and  be  at  rest.  Lo,  then  would 
I  wander  afar  off,  I  would  lodge  in  the  wilderness,  Selah. 
I  would  hasten  my  escape  to  a  shelter  from  the  stormy  wind 
and  tempest" ;  which  in  the  Hebrew  is,  from  the  commotion  of 
the  wind  and  storm,  which  is  the  same  thing. 

V.  2.  —  Have  mercy  upon  me,  O  Jehovah,  for  I  am  withered 
azvay  (zveak)  :  O  Jehovah,  heal  me,  for  my  bones  are  troubled 
(vexed). 

Here  he  in  the  second  place  confesses  himself  withered 
away,  that  is,  destitute  of  strength,  and  therefore  unable  to 
endure  that  unsupportable  rebuke  and  chastisement  of  the  anger 
of  God.  As  if  he  had  said,  the  terror  of  thy  anger  is  more 
than  I  can  bear ;  and  unless  thou  communicate  to  me  the  power 
of  thy  grace,  I  must  utterly  despair  and  perish.  Thus  Moses, 
Ps.  90:11,  "Who  knoweth  the  power  of  thine  anger",  that  is, 
the  violence  and  force  of  it,  "And  thy  wrath  according  to  the 
fear  that  is  due  unto  thee". 

And  the  force  of  this  feeling  is  moreover  shown  by  the  fre- 
quent repetition  of  the  name  of  Jehovah,  "Have  mercy  upon 
me,  O  Jehovah",  "O  Jehovah,  heal  me",  O    Jehovah,    how 


342  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

long"?  For  these  are  the  feehngs  and  cries  of  those  even, 
who  are  oppressed  with  Hghter  temptations ;  they  call  con- 
tinually in  heart  and  mouth  upon  the  helping  name  of  God. 

Some  will  have  it,  that  "Have  mercy"  in  this  passage  sig- 
nifies properly,  not  the  remission  of  sins,  which  is  generally 
expressed  by  a  word  signifying  clemency  or  pity,  as  in  Ps. 
Ill  4,  "gracious  and  full  of  compassion",  but  grace  or  strength, 
whereby  the  soul  may  be  strengthened;  which  aptly  agrees 
with  the  word  "weak",  "For  I  am  Vv^eak"  or  'impotent' ;  and 
it  is  weakness  that  is  helped  by  strength.  Such  therefore  is 
the  nature  of  this  temptation,  which  is  most  appropriately 
described  in  the  words  of  this  Psalm,  though  it  can  be  really 
known  by  no  one  but  through  experience,  as  I  have  before 
said.  For  this  expression  "weak"  touches  the  weakness  of 
the  spirit,  not  that  of  the  flesh;  that  is,  that  weakness  which 
neither  hope  nor  love,  no,  nor  even  faith  is  able  to  support, 
unless  it  be  thus  strengthened. 

In  the  third  place  he  says  that  his  "bones  are  vexed"  and 
therefore  he  prays  to  be  healed.  But  who  understands  what 
this  vexing  of  the  bones  is?  For  David  is  not  here  speaking 
of  a  corporal  vexation  of  the  bones  by  a  fever  or  any  other 
disease.  This  inexperience  gave  occasion  to  many  illustrious 
fathers  also  to  understand  by  "bones"  the  powers  of  the  soul, 
whose  opinion  I  do  not  condemn.  But,  as  I  have  observed 
already,  the  powers  or  faculties  of  the  soul,  such  as  the  under- 
standing, the  will,  the  reason,  the  memory,  and  the  like,  were 
signified  in  the  former  part  of  the  verse  under  the  term  "weak". 
Grace  properly,  for  which  he  prays  in  the  words  "have  mercy", 
strengthens  the  heart  and  its  powers  against  that  spiritual 
weakness,  for  it  is  in  the  spirit  that  he  speaks. 

Wherefore  "bones"  ought  here  to  be  received  as  signifying 
according  to  their  grammatical  meaning  the  very  bones  them- 
selves which  are  in  the  flesh  of  our  bodies  and  v^-hich,  by  this 
weakness  and  perturbation  of  spirit,  are  vexed  that  they  tremble 
and  have  no  strength  whatever  and  indeed  are  then  no  longer 


PSALM  VI.  343 

bones,  nor  are  they  able  to  support  only  the  body  itself.  For 
thus  it  is  written,  Is.  38:13,  "As  a  lion,  so  he  breaketh  all  my 
bones".  This  is  what  we  sometimes  find  in  them  also  who 
are  brought  to  the  point  of  death,  where  many  tremble  and 
are  horribly  wracked  with  straits  and  agonies.  For  God  often 
works  this  tribulation  in  that  state,  where  the  man  can  no  more 
run  to  human  comforts,  and  is  forced  to  bear  the  hand  of  him 
that  purifieth  him.  For  it  is  necessary  that  sin  should  be 
destroyed  is  this  manner,  and  be  driven  from  us,  that  we  may 
love  God  above  all  things,  and  may  burn  with  an  unspeakable 
thirsting  after  him  .  And  those  earthly  effections  which  are 
wrought  by  sin  are  beyond  all  comparison  less  and  weaker  than 
this  thirst  of  the  man  who  thus  seeks  after  God,  that  is,  his 
grace  and  mercy. 

That  is  what  we  mean  when  we  say  that  we  must  love 
God  just  as  much  and  more  than  we  love  the  creature.  Those 
who  postpone  it  to  death  must  then  suffer  this  great  purification. 
God  would  however  not  be  loved  and  desired  with  so  great 
ardor  if  man  were  not  weighed  down  by  these  great  troubles, 
which  force  him  to  seek  and  say  unto  God  with  powerful  ex- 
clamations of  the  heart,  especially  if  he  be  deeply  sunk  in 
vice,  and  had  been  inactive  in  crucifying  the  flesh.  For  this 
crucifying  of  the  flesh  will  be  the  harder,  the  more  lively  the 
manifold  development  of  sin  formed  his  character.  It  is  to 
be  hoped  that  those  who  have  sufifered  this  death  and  hell  in 
this  life  will  have  less  when  they  die. 

Here  perhaps  I  may  seem  to  advance  unheard-of  and  ab- 
surd things  in  the  estimation  of  those,  who  imagine  that  they 
can  find  an  easy  way  to  heaven  by  their  indulgences,  their 
letters,  or  their  works.  And  though  I  know  that  I  cannot 
prove  the  truth  of  what  I  thus  advance  to  the  satisfaction  of 
those  who  do  not  believe  the  words  of  the  prophet,  yet  I  will 
not,  on  their  account,  deviate  from  the  vrords  of  the  prophet. 
Let  every  one  abide  by  his  own  understanding  of  the  scriptures. 
I  know  what  I  say;  and  let  them  take  heed  that  they  fully 


344  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

know  and  understand  what  they  say.  This  is  certain,  that  no 
one  will  come  to  the  mercy  of  God,  but  he  who  most  cravingly 
hungers  and  thirsts  after  him;  like  him  who  said,  Ps.  42:1, 
"As  the  heart  panteth  after  the  water-brooks,  so  panteth  my 
soul  after  thee,  O  God.  My  tears  have  been  my  meat  day 
and  night".  Again,  Ps.  63  :2,  "My  soul  thirsteth  for  thee,  my 
flesh  longeth  for  thee,  in  a  dry  and  weary  land,  where  no  water 
is." 

Let  no  one  ever  think  that  a  full  and  satisfied  soul  will  be 
filled  of  God ;  he  only  "fills  the  hungry  with  good  things". 
How  much  less  then  will  he  give  eternal  life  to  those  who 
disdain  it ;  na}',  who  despise  it  in  comparison  with  the  good 
things  of  this  life.  No !  He  will  give  it  to  those  who  most 
ardently,  and  with  groan ings  that  cannot  be  uttered,  seek  after 
it,  crave  after  it,  and  knock  at  the  door  for  it.  As  we  should 
not  thus  seek,  crave,  and  know  it  otherwise,  especially  if  we 
enjoyed  a  quiet  life,  God  has  set  before  us  death  and  various 
tribulations,  that  being  pressed  under  these,  we  may  be  forced 
to  seek  for  mercy  and  life;  as  Job  saith,  10:12,  "Thou  hast 
granted  me  life  and  lovingkindness ;  and  thy  visitation  hath 
preserved  my  spirit". 

It  is  certain  therefore  that  the  bones  of  those  who  suflfer  this 
tribulation  are  so  vexed  that  they  cannot  perform  the  office  of 
bones.  On  the  contrary  we  see  that  where  the  heart  exults 
and  is  kept  filled  with  joy,  the  bones  are  as  it  were  strengthened 
and  made  ready  to  leap  and  to  bear  the  heavy  and  filthy  burden 
of  the  flesh,  and  there  is  nothing  that  they  are  not  able  to  bear. 
So  that  the  joy  is  felt  through  all  the  bones  like  a  certain 
watering.  As  in  Prov.  3:8,  "It  will  be  health  to  thy  navel, 
and  marrow  to  thy  bones".  Nay  even  a  poet  of  old  said. 
Through  all  his  bones  a  chilling  tremor  ran. 

So  that  the  afifections  of  the  mind  penetrate  through  the 
body.  Rightly  therefore  does  David  say,  "O  Jehovah,  heal 
me" ;  because  he  is  so  broken  down,  even  in  body,  that  his 
bones  have  lost  all  their  strength.     So  great  is  this  tribulation 


I'SALM  VI.  345 

that  there  is  not  a  corner  in  the  frame  or  in  all  its  powers  which 
it  does  not  vex  and  wear  down. 

V.  3.  —  My  soul  also  is  sore  troubled. 

In  the  fourth  place  he  complains  that  his  "soul"  is  sore 
troubled ;  that  is,  the  lower  and  inferior  part  of  it,  namely,  the 
sensible  life.  For  when  the  spirit  is  vexed  and  the  bones  also 
there  is  no  part  of  the  sensible  frame  that  is  not  filled  with  sor- 
row, so  that  now  there  is  nothing  remaining  either  in  spirit, 
body,  or  soul,  that  is  not  possessed  and  filled  with  the  most 
bitter  sorrow  and  terror.  The  soul  or  life  feels  the  attack 
of  death,  which  is  the  most  distressing  of  all  to  the  feelings, 
and  the  spirit  feels  hell  which  is  intolerable.  And  what  this 
sensation  of  death  and  hell  is,  in  this  conflict  and  perturbation, 
is  shown  in  the  following  part  of  the  Psalm.  In  the  meantime, 
however  be  it  known,  that  to  those  who  are  exercised  under 
this  tribulation  there  is  nothing  in  the  whole  creation  so  pleasant 
as  to  be  able  to  give  relief  even  to  one  hair  of  the  head,  nothing 
so  sweet  in  sound  as  to  be  able  to  soothe  the  ear,  nothing  so 
delightful,  either  to  eat,  to  drink,  or  to  touch,  that  does  not 
seem  to  be  very  bitterness.  Death  is  in  every  thing  that  is 
either  seen  or  touched.  The  man  is  most  miserably  wracked 
between  life  and  death,  he  dreads  death  and  has  not  life. 

I  presume  it  is  known  to  every  one  that  life  or  soul  and 
spirit  dififer  from  each  other,  according  to  the  scriptural  usage 
of  those  terms,  though  philosophers  will  go  according  to  their 
opinions.  For  the  apostle  in  Thess.  5  :23,  gives  it  thus,  "And 
the  God  of  peace  himself  sanctify  you  wholly ;  and  may  your 
spirit  and  soul  and  body  be  preserved  entire,  without  blame  at 
the  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ".  Upon  these  points 
Origen  and  Jerome  have  disputed  much  in  various  parts  of 
their  works.  But  the  apostle  prays  that  they  may  be  preserved 
separately  and  particularly  in  spirit,  soul,  and  body.  And  in 
the  Evangelists,  Mark  12:30,  we  have  "With  all  thy  heart, 
and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind,  and  with  all 
thy  strength".    But  upon  this  we  cannot  enlarge  farther  here. 


346  LUTHEH  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

And  thou,  O  Jehovah,  hozv  long? 

Here  some  understand  a  word ;  thus,  "how  long"  'wilt  thou 
refuse  to  deliver  me',  or,  'to  strengthen  me'?  and  such  a  read- 
ing the  pronoun  "thou"  favors,  "And  thou,  O  Jehovah,  how 
long"?  Under  these  same  feelings  David  saith,  Ps.  13  :i,  "How 
long,  O  Jehovah  wilt  thou  forget  me  for  ever  ?  How  long  wilt 
thou  hide  thy  face  from  me?  How  long  shall  I  take  counsel 
in  my  soul,  having  sorrow  in  my  heart  all  the  day"?  Where 
he  not  only  prays  the  Lord  to  hasten  his  help  but,  being  as  it 
were  impatient  of  delay,  he  complains  of  his  distress  on  account 
of  the  delay ;  because  in  every  feeling  of  fear,  love,  hope,  and 
hatred,  etc.,  delay  is  always  distressing  and  grievous ;  as  Prov. 
13:12,  "Hope  deferred  maketh  the  heart  sick".  And  under 
this  sensation  of  death  and  hell  the  delay  is  above  all  the  most 
distressing.  For  here  that  common  saying  is  true  'One  hour 
in  hell  is  longer  than  many  years  in  this  world'. 

In  a  word  human  nature  cannot  bear  to  endure  this  tribula- 
tion even  the  shortest  time,  nor  does  it  suffer  the  whole  of  it  at 
all,  it  only  tastes  a  few  drops  of  it,  as  on  the  other  hand,  it  is 
said  of  those  who  under  the  experience  of  the  heavenly  feelings, 
that  they  scarcely  taste  one  drop,  because  this  life  cannot  bear 
all  the  riches  of  the  pleasures  of  that  life  to  come.  Indeed 
when  either  of  these  feelings  or  sensations  exceeds  the  common 
measure  the  m.an  thinks  that  his  soul  will  leave  the  body,  unless 
a  miracle  of  divine  power  prevent.  Wherefore  in  these  words 
"And  thou,  O  Lord,  how  long"?  is  particularly  indicated  that 
unutterable  groan  of  the  Spirit  which  man  under  these  feelings 
breathes  forth. 

v.  4.  —  Return,  O  Jehovah,  deliver  my  soul;  save  me  for 
thy  lovingkindness'  {mercy's)  sake. 

He  again  indicates  in  this  verse  that  his  soul  is  lost  and  that 
he  himself  is  condemned,  for  these  are  his  feelings  in  the  hour 
of  this  excess,  when  he  prays  that  his  soul  might  be  saved ; 
that  is,  from  the  death  that  presses  upon  him ;  and  that  he 
might  be  delivered  from  the  hell  that  now  with  open  mouth 


PSALM  VI.  ^4P 

is  ready  to  swallow  him.  Ps.  9:13,  "Thou  that  liftest  me  up 
from  the  gates  of  death".  Again  Hezekiah  saith,  Is.  38:10, 
"I  shall  go  into  the  gates  of  hell". 

The  Psalmist  also  beautifully  shows  the  power  of  hope  while 
he  sets  nothing  before  his  eyes  but  the  mercy  of  God,  saying, 
"For  thy  mercy's  sake".  As  if  he  had  said,  not  for  my  merits, 
for  I  have  none,  as  is  sufficiently  manifest  from  this  my  terror 
at  thine  anger,  from  my  perturbation  of  heart,  and  from  the 
vexation  of  my  bones  and  of  my  soul;  therefore  save  me  for 
thy  mercy's  sake,  that  the  glory  and  praise  of  thy  mercy  may 
be  exalted  in  my  salvation  unto  all  eternity.  For  though  I  be 
unworthy  of  being  delivered  and  saved  yet  thou  art  worthy 
of  being  praised,  glorified,  and  loved,  to  all  eternity ;  and  yet, 
thou  canst  not  be  praised,  nor  can  thy  mercy  be  glorified,  un- 
less there  be  some  whom  thou  shalt  save  from  death  and  deliver 
from  hell. 

Thus  Manasseh,  king  of  Judah,  in  his  prayer,  verse  15  etc., 
says,  'For  thou  wilt  save  me,  that  am  unworthy,  according  to 
thy  great  mercy.  Therefore  I  will  praise  thee  for  ever  all  the 
days  of  my  life;  for  all  the  powers  of  heaven  do  praise  thee'. 
Behold  in  this  way  does  God  render  his  mercy  most  lovely,  most 
sweet,  and  most  desirable  to  be  sighed  after.  This  is  how  it 
ought  to  appear  unto  us,  as  it  is  eternal  and  of  a  majesty  so 
great,  he  is  bringing  upon  us  those  evils  and  temptations  which 
we  have  deserved.  But,  as  to  those  whom  he  does  not  try  with 
these  temptations,  what  wonder  is  it  if  such  should  look  upon 
the  mercy  of  God  as  a  thing  of  no  value  and  nauseate  the 
heavenly  manna. 

Here  at  one  blow  and  in  one  moment  perishes  all  the  prat- 
ing of  those  vv'ho  talk  about  meriting  grace  by  works  of  con- 
gruity  and  gaining  heaven  by  works  of  condignity,  and  who,  by 
an  incredible  madness,  prepare  to  meet  the  intolerable  judg- 
ment of  God  by  the  works  of  their  own  righteousness.  There- 
fore, David,  at  the  end  of  this  Psalm,  attacks  such  with  a  fiery 
zeal  of  spirit,   inveighing  against  them   in   words   addressed 


348  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

especially  to  them,  saying  "Depart  from  me,  all  ye  workers 
of  iniquity".  So  that  this  truth  stands  firm  and  certain,  "O 
save  me  for  thy  mercy's  sake" ;  for  my  iniquity  is  found  to 
be  unto  death  and  hell,  my  righteousness  is  all  vanished,  my 
strength  has  failed,  and  my  merit  has  come  to  naught.  Blessed 
•^an  that  I  shall  be,  if  I  be  but  allowed  to  breathe  unto,  and 
rest  in,  thy  mercy ! 

Here  therefore  we  are  taught  that  as  we  ought  not  to  pre- 
sume at  all  concerning  ourselves,  so  we  ought  not  by  any 
means  to  despair  of  the  mercy  of  God,  but  ought,  however 
unworthy  we  may  be,  to  call  upon  that  mercy  to  save  us  from 
the  power  of  death  and  hell.  For  what  sins  or  what  evils  can 
there  be  so  great  that  they  should  lead  thee  to  despair,  when 
thou  hearest  from  this  scripture  that  no  one  ought  to  be  led  to 
despair  when  under  the  feelings  of  death  and  hell,  where  there 
must  of  necessity  be  the  greatest  of  all  sins  and  evils? 

V.  5.  —  For  in  death  there  is  no  remembrance  of  thee;  in 
Sheol  {the  grave)    who  shall  give  thee  thanks? 

Here  David  plainly  opens  to  us  the  experience  and  feelings 
contained  in  the  whole  Psalm,  where  he  confesses  that  he  feels 
death  and  hell.  For  he  does  not  speak  these  things  like  the 
sophists,  who  have  the  audacity  to  divine  and  imagine  any  thing, 
as  being  matters  of  which  he  in  reality  knew  nothing,  but  he 
speaks  from  what  he  himself  experiences  and  paints  forth  the 
whole  just  as  he  himself  feels  it.  "Save  me,"  saith  he,  that  I 
may  proclaim  thy  mercy  to  all  eternity :  and  rebuke  me  not  in 
this  thy  anger,  for  therein  there  is  nothing  but  death  and  hell 
and  no  remembrance  nor  praise  of  thee.  For  here,  the  words 
of  Prov.  16  :i4,  are  found  to  be  true,  "The  wrath  of  a  king  is  as 
messengers  of  death". 

Hence  Hezekiah  saith,  Is.  38:18,  19,  "The  living,  the  living, 
he  shall  praise  thee,  as  I  do  this  day :  for  the  grave  cannot 
praise  thee,  death  cannot  celebrate  thee :  they  that  go  down 
into  the  pit  cannot  hope  for  thy  truth".  And  Ps.  115  ri/,  "The 
dead  praise  not  Jehovah,  neither  any  that  go  down  into  silence". 


PSALM  VI,  349 

These  feelings  are  set  forth  in  many  other  places  in  the  Psalms. 

What  then  is  this  being  in  death  and  hell?  It  is,  first  of 
all,  to  be  in  an  eternal  forgetfulness  and  oblivion  of  God,  and 
next  to  be  in  eternal  blasphemy.  For  here  the  care  for  the 
love  of  self  reigns  with  a  most  powerful  and  confused  concern ; 
and  therefore  it  is  impossible  for  such  to  have  the  mercy  of 
God  before  their  eyes.  They  seek  refuge  and  escape,  and  find 
none ;  and  then  they  are  presently  involved  in  a  most  burning 
hatred  of  God.  They  first  of  all  desire  that  there  were  another 
God,  and  then  that  they  themselves  had  no  existence ;  and  thus 
they  blaspheme  his  divine  Majesty.  They  wish,  as  I  said,  with 
all  their  heart  that  no  such  majesty  existed;  and  if  they  could, 
they  would  destroy  his  existence ;  and  this  fleeing  from  and 
this  hatred  against  God  are  eternal.  'Thus  that  scripture  of 
the  first  Psalm  is  fulfilled,  "For  the  ungodly  are  like  the  chafif 
which  the  wind  scattereth  away" ;  that  is,  they  are  ever  fleeing 
but  never  escape. 

But  here  some  will  open  their  mouths  with  this  objection, 
what  then  did  those  words  mean  so  often  found  in  the  scriptures, 
'There  is  no  redemption  in  hell'  ?  For,  according  to  this  it  ap- 
pears that  the  pains  of  hell  can  happen  to  none  but  to  the 
damned  ?  I  answer,  though  I  do  not  remember  that  I  have  read 
these  words  in  the  holy  scriptures,  yet  they  seem  to  be  taken 
out  of  this  verse  of  this  Psalm,  and  also  out  of  other  like  places 
of  the  scriptures.  But  such  scriptures  are  not  understood  by 
these  carnal  ones,  nor  by  any  inexperienced  theologians.  As 
though  no  one  could  taste  of  hell,  because  there  is  no  redemp- 
tion from  hell !  According  to  the  same  argument,  we  might  say 
that  Paul  never  tasted  heavenly  things,  because  the  blessedness 
of  heaven  can  never  be  lost,  and  sin  can  never  be  felt  there, 
because  it  is  forgiven. 

Wherefore  it  is  true  that  in  the  present  conflict  and  agony 
nothing  is  present  in  the  feelings  but  hell,  without  any  prospect 
of  '"edemption,  for  all  that  is  felt  seems  as  it  it  would  be  eternal. 
For  the  anger  of  a  mortal  man  when  felt  is  attended  with  the 


350  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

hope  that  it  will  have  an  end,  but  no  hope  accompanies  this 
anger  of  an  eternal  God,  nor  any  expectation  of  its  coming  to 
an  end.  'Rebuke  me  not,  O  Lord,  in  thine  anger',  saith  David : 
but,  to  be  brought  under  the  mortal  anger  of  a  mortal  man  is 
nothing. 

All  that  takes  place  in  hell  takes  place  in  the  soul ;  even 
the  hatred  and  blasphemy  are  almost  the  same.  "For  love  is 
strong  as  death,  jealousy  is  cruel  as  hell",  Song:  and  therefore 
the  man  under  this  temptation  prevails  in  praising  God.  Love 
however  most  severely,  sharply,  and  vehemently  wrestles 
against  hatred,  hope  against  despair,  mercy  against  wrath, 
praise  against  blasphemy,  perseverence  against  flight,  and,  in  a 
word,  heaven  against  hell,  to  the  unspeakable  torture  of  the 
soul. 

But  why  do  we  spend  words  in  vain,  when  we  can  effect 
nothing  by  thousands  of  words?  because,  nothing  can  give  a 
man  a  judgment  in,  and  an  understanding  and  comprehension 
ot  this  tribulation,  but  the  feeling,  sensation  and  experience  of 
it.  Though  every  one,  if  he  be  not  devoid  of  all  feeling  and 
callous  in  heart  and  conscience,  v/hen  he  hears  these  things, 
must  say  ihat  there  is  something  signified  by  these  words,  which 
he  does  not  3'et  know ;  and  it  is  terrible  to  be  brought  to  the 
knowledge  of  it. 

V.  6.  —  /  am  zveary  zi'ifh  my  groaning;  every  night  make 
I  my  bed  to  szvini,  I  zvaler  my  conch  zvitJi  my  tears. 

This  verse  may  be  arranged  in  the  translation  two  ways : 
either  by  making  the  words  'T  am  weary"  to  stand  alone,  or 
by  joining  them  to  "with  my  groaning".  Though  the  former 
order  is  the  most  generally  used,  yet  we  will  upon  the  present 
occasion  pass  it  by  and  confine  ourselves  to  the  latter,  by  doing 
which,  as  I  think,  we  shall  more  properly  preserve  the  repetition 
which  the  passage  contains.  So  that,  washing  the  bed  under 
sighing  and  groaning  will  be  the  same  as  watering  the  couch 
with  tears;  thus  taking  together  the  sighs  and  groans  with  the 


PSALM  VI.  ^^l 

tears,  the  washing  with  the  watering,  and  the  bed  with  the 
couch. 

In  the  Hebrew  it  is,  'I  will  make  my  bed  to  swim ;  and  water 
my  couch'.  Here  the  question  may  justly  be  asked,  how  any 
man  should  have  so  many  tears?  Augustine  according  to  his 
custom  has  recourse  to  a  mystical  understanding  of  the  passage, 
in  which  he  is  followed  by  many  others.  We  however  will  un- 
derstand "bed"  and  "couch"  according  to  their  plain  grammati- 
cal signification  as  being  those  places  where  men,  according  to 
the  common  usage,  recline  for  the  night.  The  groans  and  tears 
we  will  understand  as  spoken  hyperbolically  or  comparatively, 
when  they  are  said  to  wash  and  water  the  couch.  For  it  was 
never,  nor  in  any  place,  heard  that  any  one  saint  ever  shed  so 
many  tears  in  one  night  even,  much  less*  every  night,  as  to  water 
his  couch,  to  say  nothing  about  its  being  made  to  swim. 

But  we  will  understand  the  hyperbole  or  the  comparative 
expression  as  applying  only  to  the  act  or  state  of  crying  itself. 
But  as  the  words  of  the  Spirit  are  always  to  be  understood  in 
the  Spirit,  there  will  be  no  hyperbole  at  all  if  you  consider  the 
affection  of  mind  in  the  person  who  experiences  these  things, 
for  then  this  will  signify,  not  what  the  person  could  really  do, 
but  what  he  wished  and  desired  to  do.  For  so  the  fathers  say 
of  Mary  Magdalene,  that  she  did  not  speak  according  to  her 
natural  bodily  strength,  when  she  said  to  the  gardener,  John 
20:15,  "Sir,  if  thou  hast  borne  him  hence,  tell  me  where  thou 
hast  laid  him,  and  I  will  take  him  away".  For  all  things  are 
considered  possible  in  the  feelings  of  those  who  believe,  hope, 
and  love.  Since  therefore  God  v/eigheth  the  spirits,  and  not  the 
works,  and  does  not  look  at  the  external  appearance  of  the 
works,  but  at  the  reins  and  hearts  of  men,  David  says  these 
words  without  any  hyperbolical  or  comparative  figure  at  all ; 
nav,  he  speaks  from  his  heart  when  he  says  that  he  would  wash 
his  couch  with  his  sighs  and  tears.  Though  he  cannot  really  do 
this  yet,  because  his  wish  is  so  ardent,  that  which  he  would  do  is 
accounted  done  before  God.    Hence  we  shall  do  rightly  if  we 


352  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

understand  the  passage  in  an  optative  sense,  thus;  'O  I  wish 
I  had  so  many  tears  that  I  could  every  night  make  my  bed  tc 
swim'.  As  Jeremiah  saith,  9:1,  "Oh  that  my  head  were  waters, 
and  mine  eyes  a  fountain  of  tears,  that  I  might  weep  day  and 
night  for  the  slain  of  the  daughter  of  my  people". 

This  verse  therefore  is  another  testimony  of  the  terribleness 
of  the  agony  when  conflicting  with  death  and  hell.  The  man 
wishes  to  do  impossibilities,  that  he  might  be  delivered  from  it. 
Hence,  I  can  easily  believe  the  accounts  of  those  who  have 
said  that  many  souls  under  these  agonies  have  confessed  that 
they  would  rather  endure  the  greatest  punishments  that  could 
be  inflicted  by  men  in  this  life,  even  unto  the  day  of  judgment, 
than  to  suffer  these  things  in  their  reality  for  the  shortest  space 
of  time. 

This  is  more  particularly  confirmed  by  the  repetition  in  the 
passage,  which,  as  I  have  said  before,  always  strengthens  the 
confirmation ;  and  thereby  is  confirmed  also  the  all-serious  truth 
of  this  experience.  See  therefore  with  what  proofs  he  sets  forth 
the  cross  of  this  most  miserable  conflict  and  how  he  would  pre- 
fer suffering  any  evil  of  the  world  to  this  under  which  he  says 
he  could  weep  with  so  many  tears.  What  then  is  there  left  in 
the  world  that  can  give  any  delight  or  ease  to  such  an  one? 
Is  he  not  most  completely  dead  to  the  flesh  since  he  has  under- 
taken to  live  God  in  the  Spirit ;  and  has  chosen  to  weep  not  at 
the  table,  nor  at  work,  nor  by  day,  nor  in  business,  where  others 
weep,  but  in  his  bed,  upon  his  couch ;  and  in  the  night,  when 
others  are  accustomed  to  rest  and  quicken  their  tired  spirit,  he 
has  undertaken  the  great  and  unheard  of  task  to  shed  tears  unti? 
he  could  swim  m  them?  Perhaps  those  who  were  once  sud- 
denly in  danger  of  death  have  experienced  to  some  degree 
^■he  meaning  of  this  verse,  while  in  the  real  battle  of 
death  and  hell  such  a  wish  and  undertaking  are  easily 
wrung  from  man,  yea,  he  readily  undertakes  and  does  it,  it  he 
is  able,  and  is  prepared  to  promise  and  do  even  greater  things. 

'T  am  weary,"  saith  David.    A  most  appropriate  word  this 


PSALM  VI.  353 

for  the  present  description,  signifying  that  he  was  in  the  ut- 
most anxiety  and  difficulty.  For  so  Isaiah  53  4,  "He  hath  borne 
our  griefs ;"  that  is,  he  was  most  distressed,  as  Christ  himself 
saith.  Matt.  26 :38.  Here  I  say  distress  forces  him  to  be  ready 
to  do  and  suffer  such  difficult  and  great  things.  Blessed  are 
they  that  mourn  for  they  shall  be  comforted,  Matt.  5  4,  namely, 
those  who  bewail  and  afflict  and  humiliate  themselves  in  order 
that  they  may  not  be  forced  to  suft'er  this  distress.  "My  soul  is 
exceeding  sorrowful,  even  unto  death."  The  rest  I  leave  to 
practice  and  experience. 

V.  7.  —  Mine  eye  zvasteth  azvay  (is  consumed)  because  of 
griei  {anger);  it  zvaxeth  old  because  of  {among)  all  mine 
enemies. 

Reuchlin  renders  the  passage,  'My  visage  is  worm-eaten 
from  anger' ;  wishing  by  'worm-eaten'  to  signify  corroded,  as  a 
garment  is  eaten  and  consumed  by  moth.  But  the  sense  is  the 
same  as  that  of  our  translator.  For  the  prophet  means  to 
say  that  the  power  and  effects  of  this  conflict  are  so  great,  that 
it  alters  the  appearance  of  the  whole  man.  No  wonder  David 
should  say  that  he  has  become  pale  and  worn  by  it,  when  it 
consumes  the  bones  and  the  blood.  And  indeed  any  sorrow  or 
grief  alters  and  wears  the  appearance  and  the  countenance  of  a 
man,  but  the  changes  which  other  troubles  make  by  degrees 
this  conflict  produces  in  a  very  short  time.  We  have  read  of 
many  who  have  become  grey  on  a  sudden  through  trouble  and 
grief ;  how  much  more  then  shall  men  be  so  altered,  and  decay, 
and  waste  into  a  state  of  old  age  by  this  conflict  ? 

We  have  the  same  thing,  Ps.  39:10-11,  "Remove  thy  stroke 
away  from  me  :  I  am  consumed  by  the  blow  of  thy  hand.  When 
thou  with  rebukes  dost  correct  man  for  iniquity,  thou  makest 
his  beauty  to  consume  away  like  a  moth".  In  the  Hebrew  it  is, 
'Thou  hast  made  his  comely  parts  like  a  moth' ;  that  is,  his  face 
or  his  visage  or  appearance.  And  in  the  same  way  Reuchlin  has 
here  rendered  this  passage,  'My  visage  is  worm-eaten'.  For  the 
face  is  the  part  where  man's  comeliness  consists.     Finally,  we 


354  LUTHEE  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

have  the  same  words,  Ps.  31  :g,  "Mine  eye  is  consumed  with 
grief",  which  we  find  in  the  present  verse. 

By  "eye"  therefore  he  means  visage  or  appearance,  for  the 
same  word  in  the  Hebrew  signifies  eye  and  appearance.  So  that 
the  sense  is  ''Mine  eye  is  consumed",  that  is,  I  am  suddenly 
changed  in  my  whole  body  and  am  become  deformed.  These 
are  the  effects  which  this  "anger"  produces.  He  does  not  say 
7ny  anger,  but  the  word  anger  is  put  alone;  that  is,  it  is  the 
very  tribulation  of  death  and  hell.  Thus  also  the  apostle  often 
expresses  it  by  wrath,  or  death,  or  hell,  only ;  as  Rom.  5  :€}, 
"Much  more  then  being  now  justified  by  his  blood  shall  we  be 
saved  from  the  wrath  of  God  through  him". 

That  which  follows  is  the  same.  "I  h.ave  waxed  old  among 
all  mine  enemies".  Which  is  much  better  in  the  Hebrew, 
"Among  all  my  tribulations".  Which  is  the  same  as  if  he 
had  said,  'I  have  straps  on  all  sides;  all  sides  cause  me  tribula- 
tion ;  the  whole  creation  is  against  me ;  I  have  no  place  to  flee 
10;  an'l  therefore  I  grow  old  before  my  day,  under  the  weight 
of  my  anxietv,  and  my  whole  appearance  is  changed'. 

The  present  verse  shows  also  another  powerful  cause  of 
this  mifeci  y ;  that  in  addition  to  being  alarmed  and  terrified  by 
the  anger  of  God.  he  can  find  consolation  in  no  creature,  but 
v/hateve-  he  looks  at  seems  to  be  against  him.  For  the  whole 
creation  acts  with  its  Creator,  especially  when  a  man's  own 
conscience  is  opposed  to  God,  and  therefore,  every  thing  around 
is  wrath,  every  thing  increases  the  tribulation,  all  around  are 
enemies.  This  is  more  particularly  shown  in  his  saying  not 
merely  "my  enemies",  but  "among  all  my  enemies";  that  is, 
among  all  those  who  are  mine  enemies ;  for  I  am  in  that  place 
and  state  that  no-body  and  no-thing  agrees  with  my  sensations ; 
as  Job  saith,  9:19  (Vulgate).  "No  man  dare  bear  witness  for 
me". 

It  is  my  belief  also  that  David  under  the  exercise  of  these 
tribulations  was  brounght  to  that  state,  that  toward  the  end  of 
his  life  he  was  very  much  weakened  and  so  cold  continually, 


PSALM  VI.  355 

that  he  could  not  keep  himself  warm  with  many  garments ;  as 
we  have  it  recorded  i  Kings  i  :i.  For,  as  I  have  said,  this 
wrath  consumes  and  withers  all  things.  Thus  then  have  we 
this  terrible  temptation  described  with  all  its  attendant  signs, 
feelings,  counsels,  and  thoughts.  Now  follows  the  consolation 
and  the  bringing  back  and  deliverance  from  this  death  and  hell. 

V.  8.  —  Depart  from  me,  all  ye  zvorkers  of  iniquity,  for  Je- 
hovah hath  heard  the  voice  of  my  zveeping. 

Now  I  ask  you  why  he  thus  indignantly  rejects  these  work- 
ers of  iniquity  in  particular  and  above  all  others?  For  we 
have  said,  Ps.  5  :5,  that  poela  aven  signifies  those  who  are 
of  the  religion  of  disobedience,  of  self-righteousness,  and  of 
spiritual  idolatry.  These  he  commands  to  depart  from  him. 
Whereas  before  he  had  made  no  complaint  about  these  in  this 
psalm,  but  had  been  complaining  only  of  the  wrath  and  fury  of 
God.  What  then  have  these  workers  of  iniquity  to  do  with 
the  fury  of  the  Lord?  especially  when  such  being  most  secure 
and  presuming  every  thing  against  God  could  not  at  all  inter- 
fere with  him  in  the  temptation  of  which  he  is  complaining  in 
this  psalm?  To  increase  the  apparent  absurdity  he  therefore 
commands  them  to  depart,  because  the  Lord  had  heard  the 
voice  of  his  weeping.  Did  then  these  workers  of  iniquity  pre- 
vent the  Lord  from  hearing  him  before? 

We  will  observe  that  the  whole  of  this  lies  in  the  feelings 
of  David,  and  those  are  the  most  powerful  and  exalted ;  and 
therefore  he  does  not  describe  zvhy  he  does  it  but  zvhat  he 
does.  Thus  we  see  that  those  who  are  carried  along  with 
any  powerful  feelings,  often  talk  to  themselves,  act  as  apparent 
madmen,  and  say  strange  things,  but  we  are  ignorant  of  the 
cause  why  they  say  those  things.  Let  us  then  enter  into  the 
feelings  and  experience  contained  in  these  words. 

I  see  this  to  be  particularly  worthy  of  remark  throughout 
the  Psalms,  that  whenever  the  prophet  speaks  under  any  pecul- 
iar ecstacy  he  immediately  adds  a  word  addressed  to  the  ad- 
versaries full  of  indignation  and  complaint  against  them,  as 


356  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

in  these  passages:  Ps.  116:10,  11,  "I  believed,  therefore  have 
I  spoken :  I  was  greatly  afflicted.  I  said  in  my  haste,  all  men 
are  liars".  And  Ps.  39:11,  "Thou  makest  his  beauty  to  con- 
sume away  like  a  moth :  surely  every  man  is  vanity".  But 
VvX  see  in  human  affairs  also  that  those  v/ho  meet  with  oppres- 
sion experience  something  of  the  same.  However  it  is  univers- 
ally the  case,  that  when  any  one  apprehends  the  truth  in  the 
experience  of  it,  he  is  soon  led  to  inveigh  v/ith  indignation  and 
complaint  against  those  who  savor  of,  or  teach  the  contrary. 

We  have  a  striking  example  of  this  in  Augustine  who,  in 
the  ninth  book  of  his  Confessions,  in  his  exposition  of  the 
fourth  Psalm  inveighs  with  impetuous  zeal  against  the  Ma- 
nicheans.  The  great  art  of  all  exposition  is  so  to  teach  the 
subject  in  question  as  to  root  out  at  the  same  time  all  that  is 
contrary  to  it  and  launch  out  against  the  adversaries ;  for  how 
can  we,  when  we  are  teaching  right  and  true  piety,  refrain 
from  inveighing  at  the  same  time  against  ceremonialists  and 
crafty  workers  of  the  Word,  while  we  feel  an  indignation  that 
they  did  not  know  the  truth  that  we  teach,  or  that  they  once 
taught  us  the  contrary? 

Hence  David  also  did  the  same  when  he  had  been  taught 
by  this  his  ecstasy  and  particular  experience  to  trust  in  God 
alone  and  to  feel  and  know  that  no  righteousness  of  his  own 
would  avail.  For  he  knew  that  those,  who  had  not  been  in- 
structed by  these  temptations,  taught  and  did  foolish  and  im- 
pious things  under  the  garb  of  piety  and  were  wholly  inex- 
perienced in  these  things  v/hen  they  happened  to  con:ie  upon 
them ;  and  yet  such  are  ready  to  teach  the  whole  world,  for  men 
of  this  stamp  always  act  thus,  who  are  the  most  foolish  vvdien 
most  wise,  and  the  most  wise  when  most  foolish,  becoming 
blind  leaders  of  the  blind,  "always  learning  and  never  able  to. 
come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth",  and,  which  is  the  greatest 
evil  of  all,  such  are  unteachable,  unpersuadable,  incorrigible. 

Yea,  as  Jannes  and  Jambres  resisted  Moses,  so  do  these 
resist  those  who  have  attained  unto  this  sound  wisdom  through 


PSALM  VI.  357 

the  experience  of  great  temptations  and  withstand  them  con- 
tinuallv  with  impudent  temerity;  by  such  therefore  the  godly 
man  is  afilicted  with  tribulation  upon  tribulation.  Hence 
David  from  a  zeal  of  love,  whereby  he  desires  that  the  truth 
may  be  known  to  all  in  common  with  himself  and  that  the  con- 
trary error  may  be  exposed  and  condemned,  inveighs  against 
such  characters  with  the  most  just  indignation,  saying,  "De- 
part from  me,  all  ye  workers  of  iniquity".  In  a  word,  we 
shall  scarcely  find  a  psalm  which  contains  a  complaint  of  this 
kind,  where  the  psalmist  does  not  accuse  and  condemn  these 
workers  of  iniquity;  and  this  we  shall  see  as  we  proceed. 

The  whole  therefore  lies  in  the  particular  feelings  of  the 
psalmist,  that  he  commands  them  to.  "depart",  because  the 
Lord  had  heard  him.  And  what  the  cause  for  his  so  doing 
is,  he  leaves  us  to  understand  from  what  has  preceded ;  that  is, 
his  knowing  and  experiencing  that  God  saves  those  who  cry 
unto  him  for  his  own  mercy's  sake  only ;  before  whom  no  one 
is  righteous,  as  Moses  saith,  Deut.  34,  tliat  no  one  is  guiltless 
in  himself.  As  these  things  are  so  therefore,  and  he  has  de- 
clared that  they  are  so  throughout  the  whole  psalm,  he  rightly 
concludes  and  says  that  he  will  not  know  those  v/ho  savor  of 
jnd  teach  the  contrary;  and  that  it  is  enough  for  him  to  know 
tliat  'the  Lord  has  heard  the  voice  of  his  weepmg',  etc.  And 
lo  this  same  point  refers  also  Matt.  "^ '2^^,  wnere  ci:e  Lord  de- 
clar.^s  that  he  will  say  to  those  that  have  prophesied  in  his 
name,  and  done  many  wonderful  works,  "Depart  from  me,  all 
ye  workers  of  iniquity".  For  the  Lord  referred  to  these  words 
as  applying,  according  to  the  general  sense  oi  this  psalm,  to 
all  those  who  trust  in  themstjives,  and  not  in  his  mere  mercy. 

V.  9.  —  Jehovah  hath  Jieard  my  supplication;  Jehovah  will 
receive  my  prayer. 

I-Je  had  said  in  the  preceding  verse  in  a  general  u^ay  "  lehov- 
ah  hath  heard,  the  voice  of  my  weepir-g  was  heard".  He  now 
defines  the  particular  nature  of  that  voice  of  weeping  £nd 
shows  what  it  was.     It  is  observable  that  he  here  repeats  the 


358  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

name  of  Jehovah  three  times,  "Jehovah  hath  heard",  "Jehovah 
hath  heard",  "J^^^ovah  hath  received",  to  signify  thereby  his 
feeUng  of  confidence  and  his  confirmation  of  hope  against  the 
adversaries  whom  he  here  attacks. 

The  word  in  the  Hebrew  which  is  rendered  "supphcation" 
is  a  word  which  signifies  properly  imploring  mercy  or  grace ; 
so  that  it  ansvv^ers  to  the  former  word,  "Have  mercy  upon  me, 
O  Jehovah",  and  to  that  which  follows ;  whereby,  as  we  have 
said,  grace  or  power  was  implored.  The  latter  word  "prayer" 
signifies,  in  the  Hebrew,  a  praying  against  evil ;  and  therefore 
answers  to  the  words,  "O  Jehovah  in  thine  anger",  etc.  Un- 
less any  one  would  rather  understand  the  whole  as  signifying 
a  repetition  that  betokens  a  confirmation  and  exultation  of  the 
affections. 

These  are  the  words  of  hope,  raising  up  and  exhorting  the 
conscience  and  now  prevailing  over  all  surrounding  difficulties. 
In  the  same  way  as  the  preceding  words  were  those  of  hope 
sufifering,  laboring,  and  almost  yielding.  Here  we  see  those 
things  which  were  spoken  in  the  fifth  Psalm,  not  only  taught, 
but  experienced;  those  things,  I  mean,  which  are  contained  in 
the  words,  "And  all  they  that  hope  in  thee  shall  rejoice". 

The  words  themselves  plainly  show  the  prophet's  state  of 
mind  and  feelings ;  under  which  he  has  before  his  eyes  the 
mercy  of  God,  which  he  sets  against  the  disturbing  views  of 
sui,  death,  and  hell.  For,  as  it  is  certain  that  he  speaks  in  hope 
and  in  the  Spirit,  yea,  in  the  presence  of  God  and  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  the  present  vision ;  it  is  also  certain  that  he  was  saved 
by  hope,  that  he  attained  unto  the  grace  of  the  power  of  God 
by  hope,  and  that  he  was  consoled  by  hope ;  and  all  these 
things  show  the  way  in  which  he  drove  away  the  distressing 
crowd  of  evils. 

This  is  the  reason  why  he  impresses  upon  himself  the  mercy 
of  God  in  so  many  repetitions ;  which  are,  as  it  were,  so  many 
strong  and  heavy  blows  with  which  he  follows  up  his  advers- 
aries and  all  the  things  that  are  against  him,  and  so  many 


PSALM  VI.  359 

powerful  words  whereby  he  exhorts  and  encourages  his  own 
infirmity  and  hope. 

Hence,  according  to  the  instructions  given  us  by  this  our 
teacher,  when  heaviness  or  sin  distresses  our  conscience  we  are 
to  be  active  and  not  to  fall  asleep,  nor  to  yield.  Nor  are  we 
to  wait  until  the  tribulation  goes  away  of  its  own  accord,  nor 
until  the  consolation  itself  comes  to  us ;  for  all  these  things  are 
those  that  accompany  perdition.  But  we  are  to  fight,  to  cry 
again  and  again,  to  strive  with  all  our  might,  until  we  are  as- 
sured of  the  good  will  of  God  toward  us ;  according  to  Ps.  3  13, 
"But  thou,  O  Jehovah,  art  a  shield  about  me,  my  glory,  and 
the  lifter  up  of  my  head".  And  in  Ps.  30 :5,  complaining  of 
the  like  tribulation,  David  strengthens  himself  in  the  good 
opinion  of  God  concerning  himself,  saying,  "For  his  anger  is 
but  for  a  moment ;  his  favor  is  for  a  lifetime",  that  means  our 
God  wills  not  death  and  hell  but  life  and  salvation  .  As  also 
in  Ps.  32 :7,  "Thou  art  my  hiding-place ;  thou  wilt  preserve 
me  from  trouble;  thou  wilt  compass  me  about  with  songs  of 
deliverance". 

Yea,  in  all  the  psalms  where  this  or  similar  suffering  is 
lamented  there  is  at  once  introduced  how  hope  may  be  created 
and  confidence  in  God  established  according  to  the  Vv^ord  of 
Wisdom  I  :i,  "Think  of  the  Lord  with  a  good  heart".  For 
unless  this  meditation  and  this  confidence  should  rise  up  and 
overcome  the  tribulation,  no  one  could  stand.  But  these  are 
not  attained  and  we  are  not  established  in  them  except  by  the 
word  of  God  and  by  Jesus  Christ. 

So  here,  when  as  yet  he  knew  not  that  his  weeping  was 
heard,  he  conceives  and  strengthens  himself  in  this  persuasion, 
repeating  and  maintaining  it  so  as  to  attack  his  adversaries, 
being  fully  persuaded  that  such  as  he  assures  himself  he  is  in 
the  sight  of  God,  such  he  is.  Therefore  as  his  hope  is,  such  is 
his  state  in  reality ;  for  in  these  matters  also  man  is  ruled  by 
opinions,  but  they  are  opinions  of  God,  that  is,  concerning  God, 


360  LUTHER  ON  THE  tSALMS. 

and  the  difference  lies  here,  whether  those  opinions  be  good 
or  bad. 

V.  10.  All  mine  enemies  shall  be  put  to  shame  and  sore 
troubled :  they  shall  turn  back,  they  shall  be  put  to  shame 
suddenly. 

This  verse  may  be  understood  as  applying  to  persecutors, 
because  he  calls  them  his  "enemies".  But  that  these  last  words 
may  agree  with  the  preceding,  let  us  understand  these  "ene- 
mies" to  be  none  other  than  the  poele  aven  themselves,  "the 
workers  of  iniquity".  For  we  have  observed  that  in  every 
Psalm  where  this  tribulation  is  described  the  spirit  of  the  pro- 
phet inveighs  against  those  characters;  for,  as  I  have  said, 
there  is  a  continual  war  and  contention  with  these  ungodly 
ones,  because  they  not  only  will  not  hear  of  this  humility  of 
the  godly  and  this  commendation  of  the  grace  of  God,  but  they 
even  persecute  it;  as  it  is  said,  Ps.  109:16,  "But  persecuted  the 
poor  and  needy  man,  and  the  broken  in  heart,  to  slay  them". 
Ps.  69:26,  "They  persecute  him  whom  thou  hast  smitten". 
These  are  they  who,  like  Job's  friends,  talk  to  the  increasing 
of  those  tribulations  which  are  justly  inflicted  of  God,  and  who 
set  themselves  against  such  afflicted  ones  as  standing  on  the  side 
of  God,  and  pronounce  that  God  is  justly  angry  with  them  and 
become  their  enemy;  while  they  themselves  are  most  secure 
as  to  their  thoughts  about  God,  as  if  they  should  escape  his 
judgment. 

Since  therefore  all  these  things  when  spoken  to  these  im- 
pious ones  are  like  a  story  told  to  one  that  is  deaf,  for  they 
cannot  understand  the  things  of  the  Spirit  by  reason  of  their 
carnal  senses,  or  their  inflated  pride,  the  prophet  prays  for 
a  speedy  and  sudden  destruction  and  subversion  of  their  in- 
iquity; that  they  themselves  might  be  overtaken  by  this  kind 
of  temptation,  that  they  might  feel  the  wrath  of  God,  and  the 
tribulation  of  death  and  hell;  as  Jeremiah  also  saith,  17:18, 
"Let  them  be  put  to  shame  that  persecute  me,  but  let  not  me 
be  put  to  shame;  let  them  be  dismayed,  but  let  not  me  be  dis- 


PSALM  VI.  361 

mayed".  And  in  the  verse  preceding  he  says,  "Be  not  a  tefror 
unto  me:  thou  art  my  refuge  in  the  day  of  evil".  Ps.  9:17,  20, 
"The  wicked  shall  be  turned  back  into  hell,  even  all  the  nations 
that  forget  God.  Put  them  in  fear,  O  Jehovah,  let  the  nations 
know  themselves  to  be  but  men",  that  is,  vain  and  liars. 

"For  the  law  worketh  wrath",  as  Paul  saith,  Rom.  4:15,  be- 
cause it  revealeth  sin,  by  which  the  conscience  is  confounded ; 
and  when  the  conscience  is  confounded  it  is  distressed  and  put 
in  perturbation  by  wrath  and  death,  which  the  soul  sees  that  it 
deserves  by  the  law  revealing  them.  This  excess,  when  men 
fall  into  it,  suddenly  and  terribly  vexes  and  confounds  and  dis- 
turbs the  proud,  bringing  thena  to  nothing  and  forcing  them 
to  lay  aside  all  supercilious  conceit  of  iheir  own  righteousness 
and  to  seek  the  mercy  of  God.  If  these  characters  of  which 
we  are  now  speaking  have  not  proved  these  things  in  their 
own  feelings  and  by  their  own  experience  they  will  read,  hear 
of  them,  and  do  all  that  they  do,  in  vain.  For  it  is  vexation  and 
tribulation,  as  Isaiah  shows,  28:19,  which  alone  give  under- 
standing to  the  hearer;  that  is,  the  Word  of  God  becomes  in- 
telligible unto  them  only  who  have  felt  what  it  contains,  and 
who  have  been  well  exercised  and  vexed  with  tribulations. 
The  cross  of  Christ  is  the  only  way  of  instruction  in  the  Word 
of  God,  and  the  only  true  theology. 

These  words  "sore"  and  "suddenly",  however,  may  be  un- 
derstood tvv'o  ways.  They  may  be  referred  either  to  the  thtie 
or  to  the  kind  of  temptation.  Their  meaning  with  reference 
to  the  time  of  the  temptation  is  this,  —  that  such  may  not  be 
long  left  thus,  but  that  they  may  be  vexed  suddenly,  in  order 
that  being  quickly  turned  from  their  iniquity  they  may  thirst 
.after  the  mercy  of  God.  But  when  referred  to  the  kind  of 
.temptation  it  means,  that  they  may  not  be  vexed  with  any  light 
tribulation  but  with  the  storm  of  this  greatest  and  most  severe 
vexation,  the  force  and  nature  of  which  are  to  be  most  power- 
ful ;  and  therefore  it  most  powerfully  humbles  and  instructs 
imto  grace.     For  the  self-wisdom  and  self-righteousness  of 


362  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

these  workers  of  iniquity  render  them  so  obstinate  and  stub- 
born, that  if  they  be  touched  with  certain  Hght  temptations 
only,  they  glory  in  them  without  any  fear,  and  in  the  midst  of 
these  tribulations  think  themselves  to  be  smcere  and  true 
martyrs,  so  pertinaciously  do  these  ravening  wolves  imitate 
sheep's  clothing.  Hence  they  become  hardened  and  confirmed 
in  their  ungodliness  by  those  very  temptations  whereby  they 
are  visited  that  they  may  be  reformed. 

But  they  cannot  stand  before  the  face  of  this  visitation  when 
they  are  vexed  with  the  confusion  of  sins  and  the  wrath  of 
God.  This  is  the  vexation  which  subverts  the  securely  im- 
pious, and  in  which  none  persevere  but  sincere  and  upright 
hearts,  who  are  rightly  instructed  in  the  fear  of  God  and  in 
hope.  Wherefore  as  the  enduring  of  the  wrath  of  God  is  im- 
possible, so  it  is  most  especially  necessary  for  these  unbelieving 
and  insensible  ones,  as  being  that  alone  which  is  sufficiently 
powerful  to  humble  them  effectually. 

It  was  with  such  a  visitation  as  this  that  St.  Paul  was  over- 
taken, which  came  upon  him  immediately  from  heaven,  when 
he  was  filled  with  the  most  secure  violence  and  impetuously 
perverted  zeal ;  for  being  on  a  sudden  surrounded  with  a  light, 
and  all  trembling,  he  said,  Acts  9  :6,  "Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have 
me  to  do  ?"  And  here  is  proved  that  word  of  Jeremiah,  23  •.2g, 
"Is  not  my  word  like  fire?  saith  Jehovad;  and  like  a  hammer 
that  breaketh  the  rock  in  pieces"?  And  Ps.  21  19,  "Thou  wilt 
make  them  as  a  fiery  furnace  in  the  time  of  thine  anger : 
Jehovah  will  swallow  them  up  in  his  wrath,  and  the  fire  shall 
devour  them".  David  would  not  have  said  these  things  if  he 
had  not  experienced  them.  For  this  "furnace"  and  this  "fire" 
are  the  'rebuking  in  anger'  and  the  'chastening  in  his  hot  dis- 
pleasure', which  drive  guilty  consciences  into  inextricable  and 
inevitable  straits  by  setting  before  them  a  view  and  a  realizing 
sense  of  the  judgment  of  God. 

In  this  verse  moreover  he  compares,  or  rather  sets  forth 
in  other  words,  the  fury  and  the  anger  of  Jehovah.     For  to 


PSALM  VI.  363 

be  'rebuked  in  the  Lord's  anger'  is  nothing  else  than,  for  the 
conscience  of  man  to  be  ashamed,  to  be  confounded,  and  to 
be  found  guihy,  before  the  eternal  judgment.  And  there  is 
no  man  whose  conscience  is  not  found  guilty  before  that  judg- 
ment; as  it  is  said,  Ps.  143:2,  "Enter  not  into  judgment  with 
thy  servant,  for  in  thy  sight  no  man  living  is  righteous".  What 
is  it  not  to  be  righteous  but  to  be  found  guilty  and  to  be  con- 
founded? Again  David  saith,  Ps.  116:11,  "I  said  in  my  haste, 
all  men  are  liars". 

Therefore  he  desires  all  these  insensible  ones  who  still  se- 
curely glory  in  themselves,  to  be  brought  to  this  and  be  con- 
founded. "Thy  hand  will  find  out  all  thine  enemies ;  thy  right 
hand  will  find  out  those  that  hate  thee".  Again,  Ps.  83  :i6, 
"Fill  their  faces  with  confusion,  that  they  may  seek  thy  name, 
O  Jehovah". 

For  as  I  have  often  said,  the  ungodly  differ  from  the  godly 
in  this.  They  are  both  indeed  liars  and  unjustified  before  God 
and  are  both  vanity  of  vanities.  But  this  tribulation  turns  the 
godly  to  a  knowledge  of  themselves ;  and  having  attained  unto 
this  knowledge,  they  flee  from  the  anger  of  the  judgment  of 
God  to  his  mercy  and  are  saved.  As  is  said,  Prov.  12 :/,  "The 
wicked  are  overthrown  and  are  not".  Which  some  have  un- 
derstood thus,  "turn  away"  that  is,  unto  a  knowledge  of  them- 
selves ;  and  when  they  have  been  thus  humbled  they  will  cease 
to  be  ungodly,  having  thus  obtained  grace.  But  when  such  are 
turned  away  they  do  not  come  to  a  knowledge  of  themselves, 
and  therefore  do  not  seek  grace,  but  remain  in  their  vanity, 
lies,  and  iniquity. 

Again  'to  be  corrected  in  anger'  is  nothing  else  than  to  be 
"sore  vexed",  as  David  says ;  that  is  to  be  under  a  conflict  with 
death  and  hell.  When  this  anger  is  kindled,  yea  but  a  little,  as 
David  saith,  Ps.  2:12,  "Blessed  are  all  they  that  put  their  trust 
in  him".  But  this  the  wicked  do  not.  For  in  the  same  psalm 
he  sets  forth  two  evils,  where  he  saith,  verse  5,  "Then  shall  he 
ipeak  unto  them  in  his  wrath,  that  is,  shall  rebuke  and  convict, 


3^4  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

and  vex  them  in  his  sore  displeasure",  that  is,  shall  correct 
and  chastise  them,  i  Sam.  2:10,  teaches,  "They  that  strive 
with  Jehovah  shall  be  broken  to  pieces;  against  them  will  he 
thunder  in  heaven".  And  we  have  many  other  like  passages 
in  the  scriptures  where  this  powerful  confusion  and  vexation  of 
heart  are  described,  both  as  they  are  experienced  in  the  hearts 
of  the  saints  and  as  they  are  foretold  to  await  all  the  wicked ; 
by  which  the  former  being  humbled  are  comforted  and  raised 
up,  but  the  latter  when  humbled  are  only  afflicted  more  and 
overwhelmed.  David  says  this,  therefore,  as  wishing  all  men 
to  be  saved,  and  that  none  should  perish. 

There  is  moreover  in  the  Hebrew  a  beautiful  allusion  in 
these  two  verbs  "turn"  and  "ashamed",  which  the  Latin  lang- 
uage is  not  capable  of  rendering.  For  in  this  passage  we  have 
by  a  change  of  letters  jasobu  for  jesobu;  and  David  repeats 
the  word  jesobu,  "let  them  be  put  to  shame",  from  a  vehem- 
t-nce  of  feeling,  desiring  that  those  things  which  he  himself 
suffers  may  be  turned  upon  his  adversaries,  that  they  also  may 
cease  to  be  proud  and  to  persecute  the  humbled.  As  we  have 
it  also,  Ps.  54 :5,  "He  will  requite  the  evil  unto  mine  enemies". 

"The  righteous  is  delivered  out  of  trouble  and  the  wicked 
cometh  in  his  stead",  Prov.  11  :8.  And  Ps.  32:10,  "Many  sor- 
rows shall  be  to  the  wicked;  but  he  that  trusteth  in  Jehovah, 
lovingkindness  shall  compass  him  about".  In  the  same  way 
he  prays,  Ps.  79  :$,  6,  that  the  anger  of  the  Lord  may  be  turned 
from  him  upon  his  enemies,  saying  "How  long,  O  Jehovah? 
wilt  thou  be  angry  for  ever?  shall  thy  jealousy  burn  like  fire? 
pour  out  thy  wrath  upon  the  nations  that  know  thee  not,  and 
upon  the  kingdoms  that  call  not  upon  thy  name".  He  also 
prays  in  this  psalm,  that  he  might  not  be  rebuked  by  the  anger 
of  the  Lord,  but  that  they  might  feel  this  rebuke  who 
call  not  upon  him  nor  fear  his  wrath. 

We  have  observed  that  the  enemies  of  the  godly  are  more 
especially  those  who  are  called  "workers  of  iniquity",  advisers 
to  a  presumptuously  secure  heart  and  to  an  ignorant  faith  and 


PSALM  VI.  365 

hope  in  God ;  and  therefore  the  godly  have  a  continual  warfare 
with  these,  which  warfare  they  would  not  have,  if  they  had  at 
some  time  been  vexed  with  this  kind  of  tribulation  themselves. 

But  if  any  one  chooses  rather  by  "workers  of  iniquity"  to 
understand  devils,  who  in  the  hour  of  temptation  fearfully 
assault  the  godly  and  urge  and  drive  them  to  desperation,  set- 
ting before  their  eyes  good  works  and  telling  them  that  if  they 
do  these  they  will  have  no  reason  to  despair,  and  thus  con- 
firming desperation  by  presumption,  and  presumption  by  des- 
peration, and  all  the  while  entangling  their  souls  in  these 
trammels  of  iniquity,  that  they  might  not  worship  God  in  true 
godliness  of  faith  and  hope.  If  any  one,  I  say,  wishes  to  un- 
derstand the  passage  thus,  I  will  not  oppose  it;  for  devils  are 
certainly  the  most  crafty  persuaders  6f  souls  to  disobedience 
under  a  show  of  obedience,  because  it  is  peculiar  to  them  to 
transform  themselves  into  angels  of  light,  and  then  more  es- 
pecially when  they  least  ought  to  do  it,  that  is,  in  the  time  of 
tribulation. 

I  believe  hov/ever  that  the  prophet  speaks  against  those 
men  v/ho  are  the  enemies  of  true  godliness,  that  is,  those  who 
cannot  endure  the  knowing  or  being  told  that  their  ignorant 
wisdom  will  drag  thousands  together  with  themselves  into  hell. 


PSALM    VII. 

THE  INNOCENCE  (iGNORANCE)  OF  DAVID,  WHICH  HE 
SUNG  UNTO  THE  LORD  CONCERNING  THE  WORDS  OF  THE  ETHIOP- 
IAN, THE  SON  OF  JEMINI. 

Many  have  spent  much  labor  upon  this  psalm  in  order  to 
show  what  the  scope  of  it  is  and  what  the  title  indicates,  and 
it  still  remains  as  much  as  ever  in  dispute.  We  in  the  mean 
lime  will  follow  Burgensis  who  seems  to  me  to  come  nearer 
to  the  true  point  than  any  other,  when  he  judges  that  the 
Psalm  is  not  to  be  understood  of  Saul  but  of  Shimei.  That 
we  may  see  the  propriety  of  thus  understanding  it,  let  us  cite 
the  words  of  the  history  recorded  in  2  Sam.  16:5-8,  "And  when 
king  David  came  to  Bahurim,  behold,  there  came  out  thence  a 
man  of  the  family  of  the  house  of  Saul,  whose  name  was  Shimei, 
the  son  of  Gera ;  he  came  out  and  cursed  still  as  he  came.  And 
he  cast  stones  at  David,  and  at  all  the  servants  of  king  David : 
and  all  the  people,  and  all  the  mighty  men,  were  on  his  right 
hand  and  on  his  left.  And  thus  said  Shimei  when  he  cursed, 
Begone,  begone,  thou  man  of  blood,  and  base  fellow :  Jehovah 
hath  returned  upon  thee  all  the  blood  of  the  house  of  Saul  in 
whose  stead  thou  hast  reigned ;  and  Jehovah  hath  delivered  the 
kingdom  into  the  hand  of  Absalom  thy  son ;  and,  behold,  thou 
art  taken  in  thine  own  mischief,  because  thou  art  a  man  of 
blood."  When  the  servants  of  David  wanted  to  kill  Shimei 
David  said,  "Let  him  alone,  and  let  him  curse,  for  Jehovah  hath 
bidden  him".  Who  is  there  that  would  dare  to  say,  why  dost 
thou  do  so?  And  David  said  to  Abishai  and  to  all  his  servants, 
"Behold  my  son,  who  came  forth  from  my  bowels,  seeketh  my 
life:  how  much  more  may  this  Benjamite  now  do  it"?  2  Sam 
16:11. 


PSALM   VII.  367 

It  is  evident  therefore  that  he  calls  this  cursing-  Shimei, 
in  the  title,  the  son  of  Jemini,  and  it  is  he  who  cursed  David, 
although  Saul  is  also  called  the  son  Jemini,  i  Sam.  9:21,  be- 
cause they  were  of  the  same  tribe,  2  Sam.  16:15. 

Therefore,  we  have  here  also  at  the  same  time  the  words  on 
account  of  which  he  sung  this  psalm,  namely,  on  account  of  the 
curses  of  Shimei,  by  which,  as  a  most  bitter  and  persevering 
calumniator,  he  loaded  him  with  false  accusations.  For  we 
do  not  find  in  the  history  of  Saul  that  he  vomited  forth  any 
such  words  as  these  against  David.  Hence  it  must  of  necessity 
follow  that  it  is  concerning  the  dreadful  injury  done  him 
by  these  words  that  David  speaks,  as  the  text  of  the  Psalm 
itself  will  show. 

It  now  remains  to  be  shown  why  he  particularly  calls  him 
Cush,  which  signifies  an  Ethiopian.    Almost  all  commentators 
agree  that  this  is  a  metaphor,  because  blackness  always  indic- 
ates wickedness  of  character.    As  the  poet  of  old  also  saith — 
Romans  !  of  this  man  beware ; 
He  is  a  dark  —  black  character ! 

As  on  the  other  hand  we  call  him  white  who  is  sincere  and 
upright  and  of  a  candid  heart,  and  who  is  without  any  dark 
cast,  as  the  proverbial  term  goes.  Commentators  suppose  there- 
fore that  the  proper  name  of  the  man  was  omitted  by  David 
in  the  title,  and  that  he  made  use  of  a  new  appellation  suited 
to  his  heart  and  disposition.  But  if  we  do  not  admit  this  we 
may  consider  that  he  had  two  names,  which  we  frequently  find 
in  the  sacred  scriptures,  as  may  be  collected  from  the  lineage 
of  Christ,  Matt,  i  and  Luke  3,  and  as  we  find  with  respect  to 
Zacharias  the  son  of  Jehoida,  2  Chron.  24  :20,  is  called  in  Matt. 
23  :35  the  son  of  Barachiah.  Still  the  same  point  remains,  that, 
being  silent  about  the  name  Shimei,  he  chose  to  call  him 
by  another  name,  "Ethiopian",  rather  than  Shimei,  as  being 
an  appellation  more  suited  to  his  bad  and  malicious  nature. 

Now  if  we  receive  these  things  the  ignorance  here  men- 
tioned will  discover  itself  of  its  own  accord  and  show  what 


368  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

its  meaning  is.  For  as  David  was  so  far  from  acknowledging 
the  justice  of  the  curses  of  Shimei,  as,  even  on  his  death  bed, 
to  command  Solomon,  i  Kings  2 19,  that  he  should  'bring 
down  his,  Shimei's,  hoar  head  to  the  grave  with  blood',  as 
a  revenge  for  the  curses  that  he  had  received  from  him;  it  is 
manifest  that  he,  David,  had  confessed  his  innocence  unto  God, 
and  that  this  "ignorance"  is  nothing  else  than  innocence,  for 
that  of  which  we  are  not  conscious,  we  may  be  rightly  said  not 
to  know  or  to  be  ignorant  of. 

But  as  it  is  wicked  for  any  one  to  trust  in  his  own  devices, 
Prov.  12:2,  and  according  to  "He  that  trusteth  in  his  own 
heart  is  a  fool",  Prov.  28 126.  Therefore  we  are  so  to  stand  in 
this  innocence  of  ours  as  yet  to  fear  the  judgment  of  God, 
and  not  to  glory  in  our  innocence  in  a  way  of  security ;  but  we 
are  first  to  give  glory  to  God  and  confess  before  him  that  his 
judgment  is  one  thing,  and  man's  another;  that  having  thus 
received  permission  from  him,  we  miay  profess  our  innocence 
before  men,  and  yet  not  injure,  but  glorify,  his  judgment;  and 
this  we  learn  by  temptation.  Therefore  David,  though  he  knew 
that  false  things  were  laid  to  his  charge,  that  is,  as  far  as  his 
conscience  v/as  concerned,  yet,  as  he  knew  also  that  God  had 
bidden  Shimei  thus  to  curse  him,  feared  lest  they  were  true 
and  just  in  the  sight  of  God;  nor  had  he  a  sufficient  confidence 
in  his  own  conscience.  In  the  same  way,  the  apostles  had  not 
sufficient  confidence  in  themselves  when  they  heard  that  one 
of  them  should  betray  their  Lord.  For  such  is  the  tender 
state  of  every  godly  man's  conscience,  that  although  innocent, 
he  fears  sin  where  sin  is  not.  Such  is  the  case  where  there  is 
the  fear  of  God  and  a  sense  of  the  inscrutable  depth  of  his 
judgment. 

Hence  David,  though  innocent,  fears  that  he  was  guilty  of 
those  things  v.'hich  were  laid  to  his  charge;  and  especially  in 
'•his  time  of  temptation,  in  which  God  seemed  to  favor  the 
cause  of  his  adversaries,  and  to  strike  him  because  of  those 
things  which  are  laid  to  his  charge,  though  he  knows  nothing 


PSALM  VII.  369 

of  them.  Tlierefore  though  he  is  not  conscious  of  any  crime 
either  to  himself  or  before  men,  yet,  fearing  lest  he  should 
be  guilty  in  heart,  for  God  searcheth  the  heart  and  trieth  the 
reins,  he  teaches  us  in  this  Psalm,  that  which  is  taught  by  the 
Apostle,  2  Cor.  10:18,  "For  not  he  that  commendeth  himself 
is  approved,  but  whom  the  Lord  commendeth". 

Wherefore  although  this  Psalm  is  written  concerning  David 
and  his  ignorance,  yet,  as  this  evil  of  calumny  is  common  and 
frequent  in  the  world  we  are  to  believe  that  these  things  are 
written  as  a  doctrine  applicable  in  general  unto  all  of  us ;  as 
Paul  saith,  Rom.  15:4,  "For  whatsoever  things  were  written 
aforetime  were  written  for  our  learning,  that  through  patience 
and  through  comfort  of  the  scriptures  we  might  have  hope". 

Here  we  see  what  are  and  ought  to  be  the  mind  and  feel- 
ings of  all  those  who  would  faithfully,  and  in  the  fear  of  God, 
bear  and  overcome  calumny.  For  this  kind  of  persecution 
David  has  here  set  forth  to  us  in  this  seventh  psalm.  He 
has  in  the  preceding  Psalms  instructed  us  in  those  evils  and 
temptations  whereby  we  are  purified  from  sin ;  and  now  he 
would  more  perfectly  instruct  us  in  the  perfect  fear  of  God ; 
that  we  may  there  fear  that  we  have  sinned  where  we  really 
have  not  sinned ;  and  that  we  may  be  perfected  in  such  a  hatred 
of  sin  and  such  a  love  of  God,  that  we  may  be  brought  to  fear 
as  sins  those  sins  of  which  we  are  ignorant,  and  which  are 
indeed  no  sins  at  all. 

To  attain  unto  this  perfection,  we  have  need,  not  of  a  per- 
secuting Absalom  whom  we  know  for  certain  persecutes  us 
unjustly,  but  of  a  calumniating  Shimei  whose  curses  we  may 
fear  as  true,  though  we  know  ourselves  innocent  all  the  while. 
For  we  are  not  to  be  satisfied  with  this  our  innocence  and  rest 
in  contented  security,  but  are  to  say  with  Job,  2y  :5,  6,  "Far 
be  it  from  me  that  I  should  justify  you  :  till  I  die  I  will  not 
put  away  mine  integrity  from  me.  My  righteousness  I  hold 
fast  and  will  not  let  it  go :  my  heart  shall  not  reproach  me  so 
long  as  I  live".    Thus,  as  we  touched  upon  these  points  in  the 


370  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

fifth  Psalm,  we  are  to  confess  our  ignorance  before  God,  who 
alone  knows  the  hearts  of  men ;  but  before  men,  we  are  to  hold 
fast  our  innocence,  if  our  heart  does  not  condemn  us.  For,  as 
before  God  sins  are  not  to  be  denied,  before  whom  no  man 
living  is  justified;  so,  before  men,  the  truth  is  to  be  asserted 
and  maintained,  before  whom  we  can  and  ought  to  live  without 
sin.  David  therefore  having  received  this  instruction  by  his 
own  experience,  imparts  it  unto  us  also,  by  which  we  avenge 
ourselves  of  calumny  much  easier  than  Apelles  some  time  since 
took  vengeance  by  his  own  picture.    He  saith  therefore, 

V.  I.  —  O  Jehovah  my  God,  in  thee  do  I  take  refuge  (put 
my  trust)  :  save  me  from  all  them  that  pursue  {persecute) 
me  and  deliver  me. 

The  first  feeling  here  set  forth  is  not  that  of  heated  revenge 
and  zeal  against  the  calumniators  and  persecutors,  as  is  the 
case  with  man  accustomed  to  vanity  and  lies,  for  God  saith, 
"vengeance  is  mine,  I  will  repay",  but  we  are  first  of  all  to 
flee  unto  God  and  are  to  lay  both  our  calumny  and  our  per- 
secution before  him  with  that  full  hope  and  confidence  which  in- 
nocence and  a  good  conscience  will  in  such  cases  afford  us. 

Here  then,  you  see,  David  prays  to  be  saved  from  all  his 
persecutors ;  for  there  were  two  that  persecuted  him,  Absalom 
with  smiles  and  by  action  and  strength,  and  Shimei  with  the 
scourge  of  the  tongue  and  calumny;  and  without  doubt  the 
latter  was  not  alone,  or  at  least,  he  did  not  do  this  to  please 
himself  only;  and  therefore  David  saith,  "Save  me  from  all 
them  that  persecute  me",  with  the  same  feelings  as  those  under 
which  he  said,  Ps.  6  :y,  'Mine  eye  waxed  old  because  of  all  mine 
enemies".  Because  those  who  suffer  both  violence  and  calumny 
seem  to  have  all  things  against  them ;  and  it  appears  to  them 
that  there  is  not  one  left  to  help  them ;  as  indeed  all  things  do 
seem  to  one  thus  alone.  Therefore  he  saith,  "from  all  them 
that  persecute  me";  that  is,  for  I  find  all  men  and  all  things 
against  me. 

And  as  to  what  difference  there  may  be  between  "save  me" 


PSALM   VII.  371 

and  "deliver  me",  I  do  not  think  that  of  any  consequence  what- 
ever; unless  we  wish  to  understand  "save  me"  as  referring  to 
the  good,  and  "deliver  me"  to  the  evil.  But  rather,  the  whole 
is  to  be  understood  as  a  repetition,  and  indicative  of  the  power 
of  his  feelings. 

This  verse  we  may  bring  forward  against  those  who  do  not 
believe  that  faith  and  hope  are  necessary  either  for  prayer  or 
for  receiving  the  grace  of  God  or  for  receiving  the  benefit,  as 
we  term  it,  of  the  sacraments.  As  the  prophet  prays  to  be 
saved  or  delivered,  and  as  he  glories  that  he  hopes  in  the  Lord, 
it  is  certain  that  these  things  will  follow  to  those  that  believe 
in,  hope  in,  and  love  the  Lord.  He  says  moreover,  "In  thee 
do  I  take  refuge",  not  in  myself,  nor  any  man.  We  have  spoken 
more  at  large  of  these  things  in  the  fifth  Psalm. 

V.  2  —  Lest  they  tear  my  soul  like  a  lion,  rending  it  in 
pieces,  ■li.'hilc  there  is  none  to  deliver. 

Jerome  translates  the  passage  from  the  Hebrew,  "Lest  he 
seize  my  soul  like  a  lion,  and  tear  it,  and  there  be  none  to 
deliver'.  'Seize',  says  David,  and  'tear',  as  a  furious  beast  does, 
which  words  he  uses  that  we  may  not  understand  that  any  com- 
mon kind  of  seizing  is  spoken  of.  Then  he  says,  "like  a  lion",  a 
most  implacable  beast,  and  "tear  me  in  pieces".  Tear  what  in 
pieces  ?  my  house  or  my  cattle  ?  no !  my  soul ;  that  is,  my  life, 
that  life  which  my  body  has  from  my  soul,  as  we  have  shown 
from  the  preceding  Psalm. 

All  these  things  David  magnifies  with  the  power  of  language 
ihat  he  may  set  forth  his  extreme  necessity,  and  put  it  in  its 
most  alarming  light,  that  he  may  be  the  sooner  heard ;  or  rather, 
that  he  may  excite  himself  to  a  more  ardent  intentness  of  soul, 
for  we  must  pray  with  earnestness  and  seriousness  if  we  would 
ever  be  heard.  It  is  not  to  be  stated,  however,  that  David 
was  at  this  time  in  that  state,  that  he  feared  lest  he  should  be 
seized  by  Absalom  and  Shimei  as  by  roaring  lions,  and  should 
be  torn  in  pieces  by  them ;  and  he  knew  there  was  no  hope  nor 
help  for  him  but  in  God.    In  a  like  situation  are  all  those  who 


372  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

suffer  violence  and  calumny,  who  will  well  understand  the 
sense  and  meaning  of  these  words. 

V.  3.  —  O  Jehovah  my  God,  if  I  have  done  this;  if  there  he 
iniquity  in  my  hands; 

V.  4.  —  //  /  have  rewarded  evil  unto  him  that  was  at  peace 
with  me  {did  me  evil);  yea,  I  have  delivered  him  that  zvithout 
cause  was  mine  adversary; 

Here  David  enters  upon  the  very  theme  of  his  Psalm  and 
according  to  the  title  speaks  of  the  words  of  the  Ethiopian, 
Shimei.  This  calumniator  first  cast  in  his  teeth  that  he 
was  guilty  of  the  blood  of  the  house  of  Saul,  when  he  said, 
'Come  out,  come  out,  thou  man  of  blood,  and  thou  man  of 
Belial' ;  In  the  second  place  that  he  had  invaded  his  kingdom 
by  violence;  and  that  therefore  both  these  things  had  now 
come  upon  his  own  head.  That,  first  of  all,  his  blood  should 
be  shed  by  his  own  son,  and  that,  in  the  next  place,  the  kingdom 
should  be  transferred  to  him.  Of  both  therefore  David  com- 
plains and  confesses  himself  innocent. 

The  nature  and  experience  of  the  second  namely  'innocence', 
he  teaches  us  to  understand  in  two  ways,  negatively  and  con- 
ditionally. That  we  should  maintain  our  confidence  in  an 
innocent  conscience,  as  far  as  the  sight  of  men  is  concerned,  arid 
should  yet  fear  our  own  secret  sinfulness  in  the  sight  01  God, 
our  judge.  For  the  experience  of  each  is  set  forth  in  these 
verses  in  this  manner,  'O  Jehovah  my  God,  so  far  am  I  from 
having  done  this,  so  far  are  my  hands  from  being  guilty  in  ihis 
matter,  so  far  am  I  from  being  the  cause  of  the  bloodshedding 
of  Saul's  family  and  of  the  loss  of  his  kingdom,  that  I  did  not 
even  return  him  and  his  evil  for  the  evil  the 7  did  me,  even 
when  it  was  in  my  power  to  do  it,  when  I  caught  him  in  the  cave 
alone,  i  Sam.  24:5,  and  when  I  took  away  his  spear  out  of  his 
camp,  I  Sam.  26:11,  etc. 

Moreover  he  says  I  have  not  only  not  rendered  evil  for 
'.vil,  but  have,  on  the  contrary,  rendered  good  for  evil.  Thus 
Saul  himself  testified,  i  Sam.  24:17,  saying,    "Thou  art  more 


tsALM  vii.  373 

righteous  tlian  I;  for  thou  hast  rendered  unto  nie  good,  where- 
as I  have  rendered  unto  thee  evil".  So  far  is  it,  says  David, 
from  being-  possible  that  I  can  be  a  man  of  blood.  But  if  there 
be  any  secret  sin  in  me,  in  that  I  did  not  do  these  things  faith- 
fully, and  thou  judgest  me  thus,  on  that  account,  I  am  ready 
before  thee.  Punish  me  as  I  deserve.  "Let  mine  enemy  per- 
secute my  soul  and  take  it". 

Further,  the  expression  "iniquity"  seems  to  refer  to  the 
latter  accusation  of  Shimei,  and  "if  I  have  done  this"  to  the 
former.  So  that  the  meaning  is,  I  have  not  committed  any 
act  of  blood  at  all,  with  which  he  charges  me.  Nor  is  there  any 
iniquity  va  my  hands,  as  to  my  having  gotten  the  kingdom ;  be- 
cause I  have  done  no  one  any  injury  in  this  matter,  for  I  did 
it,  not  by  any  temerity  of  my  own,  but  according  to  thy  com- 
mand. 

But  where  he  imprecates  so  many  evils  upon  himself  if  he 
had  done  any  such  thing,  the  feeling  grows  more  powerful 
than  it  is  where  he  merely  says  that  he  did  it  not.  Whereby  we 
are  taught  to  pray  with  an  earnest  heart  against  calumny ;  yet 
so,  that  we  may  testify  our  innocence,  and  at  the  same  time  fear 
the  secret  judgment  of  God,  being  prepared  to  suffer  any  evils 
if  we  are  found  blamable.  For  although  according  to  the  best 
of  your  own  judgment  you  have  the  command  of  God  on  your 
side  in  any  work,  yet  you  ought  to  fear  lest  you  should  not 
have  acted  rightly,  and  be  apprehensive  lest  any  commandment 
should  be  against  you.  Even  as  Abraham,  though  he  had  re- 
ceived the  renewal  of  the  promise  in  Isaac,  yet  fearing  the  judg- 
ment of  God,  he  willingly  offered  him  up  as  a  burnt-sacrifice. 

So  David,  in  this  case,  though  conscious  of  no  s'n,  yet  he 
resigned  the  kingdom,  saying,  2  Sam.  15:26,  "But  if  he  say 
thus,  I  have  no  delight  in  thee ;  behold,  here  am  I,  let  him  do  to 
me  as  seemeth  good  unto  him."  So  he  permitted  Shimei  to 
curse  on  and  even  believed  that  he  was  commanded  of  God  to  do 
it,  fearing  that  it  might  all  be  just  and  right  that  happened 
unto  him. 


374  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

Wherefore,  however  just,  holy,  innocent,  true,  and  divine 
your  cause  may  be,  you  must  conduct  it  in  fear  and  humiHty, 
always  fearing  the  judgment  of  God  and  having  confidence  in 
nothing  of  your  own  but  in  the  mercy  of  God  alone.  Judas 
Maccabee  was  engaged  in  a  most  just  war,  and  many  others 
were  overcome  in  most  just  causes,  and  in  divine  matters;  as 
is  written  in  Judges  20:21-25;  because  they  did  not  go  forth 
in  fear,  but  depended  upon  the  justness  of  their  cause,  and  not 
on  the  mercy  of  God  only.  But  the  apostle  saith,  i  Cor.  4  4, 
*'For  I  know  nothing  against  myself;  yet  am  I  not  hereby 
justified". 

This  is  what  David,  being  placed  under  tribulation,  teaches 
by  his  example,  namely :  that  no  one  is  at  liberty  to  arrogate 
justice  unto  himself  so  as  to  make  a  tumult  on  account  of  the 
justice  of  his  cause,  or  to  rage  with  revenge  because  of  it,  or 
to  meditate  any  retaliation  either  by  force  or  by  law.  It  is 
in  this  way  that  the  church  leaders  who  wish  to  seem  just  and 
wise  above  all  men  madly  rage ;  but  they  ought  first  to  be  con- 
cerned with  humble  fear  lest  they  have  merited  all  those  things 
before  God,  and  they  ought  to  offer  themselves  for  deserved 
punishment. 

Then  they  ought  to  pray  against  their  adversaries  according 
to  the  innocence  of  their  conscience.  This  they  may  do,  for 
no  adversary  can  have  a  just  cause  against  any  man  who  has 
an  innocent  conscience ;  for  this  God  alone  can  have,  and  this 
he  does  have.  For  the  judgments  of  God  are  far  different  from 
the  judgments  of  men.  Man  sees  those  things  only  which  are 
open  to  view ;  but  God  beholds  the  heart.  Therefore  when  any 
man  judges  otherwise  than  according  to  outward  appearance, 
he  becomes  a  calumniator  like  this  Shimei. 

In  order  to  set  forth  this  humility  and  fear  of  God,  David 
carefully  entitled  the  Psalm  'Concerning  the  words  of  Gush'; 
because  he  was  not  ignorant  that  he  deserved  the  persecution 
of  Absalom  his  son,  and  yet  he  does  not  excuse  it.  But  the 
curses  of  Shimei  he  does  not  acknowledge;  or,  if  they  are 


PSALM  VII.  375 

true,  he  confesses  that  he  does  not  know  his  guilt.  He  deserved 
by  his  adultery  and  murder  the  evils  that  came  upon  him  from 
Absalom ;  but  he  is  not  conscious  that  he  deserves  the  curses 
of  Shimei  concerning  the  blood  of  Saul.  Yet  he  fears  that 
he  deserved  it  on  account  of  the  secret  and  fearful  judgment 
of  God.  How  these  things  are  the  godly  and  God-fearing  heart 
well  knows  and  feels  when  it  is  vexed  and  afflicted  either  by 
accusing  men  or  accusing  devils. 

The  word,  moreover,  which  the  translator  has  rightly  ren- 
dered "iniquity"  is  in  the  Hebrew  aval^  which  signifies  properly 
that  which  the  Latins  express  by  'iniquity'  (iniquitas)  that  is, 
a  hurting  or  injuring  a  person  more  or  less,  so  as  to  transgress 
the  bounds  of  what  is  right,  as  it  happens  in  the  affairs  of  men. 
Thus  here  it  would  have  been  unjust  to  invade  the  kingdom 
of  a  neighbor  against  his  will,  if  he  had  done  it.  And  what 
our  translation  has  *T  will  justly  depart  empty  from  mine 
enemies"  Jerome  renders,  'Yea,  I  have  not  sent  my  enemies, 
that  is  my  persecutors,  away  empty'.  Here  Jerome  wishes  to 
convey  that  signification  which  I  have  mentioned,  that  David 
not  only  did  not  render  evil  for  evil,  but  even  did  not  send 
his  enemies  empty  away' ;  that  is,  he  rewarded  them  good  for 
evil.  For  this  also  is  a  kind  of  revenge,  to  force  benevolence 
and  good-will  from  those  who  offend  us ;  for  even  our  enemies 
are  to  be  loved.  Though  I  know  not  whether  this  translation 
fully  gives  the  meaning  of  the  Hebrew. 

Observe  here  how  David  exemplified  the  evangelical  stand- 
ard of  righteousness.  For  to  render  evil  for  evil  seems  agree- 
able to  the  feelings  of  the  flesh ;  and  this  was  prohibited  by  the 
law  of  Moses,  unless  it  were  done  by  the  sentence  of  a  superior, 
for  no  one  was  permitted  to  do  it  by  his  own  authority.  The 
contrary  is  the  rendering  of  good  for  good ;  but  this  is  mercen- 
ary and  servile.  This  is  how  those  serve  God  who  wish  to 
suffer  neither  evil  nor  death.  For  God  oppresses  us  with  evils, 
that  we  may  learn  to  serve  him  purely,  without  any  expectation 
either  of  good  or  reward  on  account  of  our  service.    The  third 


376  LUTHEK  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

kind  of  return  is,  rendering  evil  for  good,  which  is  helHsh, 
yea,  worse  than  hellish.  The  fourth  kind  or  return  is  rendering 
good  for  evil.  This  is  the  gospel  of  Christ.  David  says  he 
acted  according  to  this  last ;  because,  he  not  only  did  not  render 
evil  for  evil,  but  rewarded  good  unto  them,  who,  after  they  had 
received  good  from  him,  ungratefully  returned  him  evil,  for 
so  the  words  are ;  as  we  have  before  shown  from  the  confession 
of  Saul,  I  Sam.  24:17. 

V.  5.  —  Let  the  enemy  pursue  {persecute)  my  soul,  and 
overtake  it;  yea,  let  him  tread  my  life  down  to  the  earth,  and 
lay  my  glory  in  the  dust. 

These  words  do  not  seem  to  me  to  be  spoken  under  a  feeling 
of  confidence  as  many  think,  though  David  was  certain  that 
these  things  would  not  take  place,  because  he  did  not  deserve 
them.  For  as  he  began  in  humble  prayer,  so  we  strive  to  sing 
these  things  in  the  same  fear  of  God.  Because,  as  I  said, 
though  he  was  not  conscious  that  he  merited  this  cursing,  nay, 
though  he  knew  that  he  was  called  to  the  kingdom  by  the 
command  of  God,  yet,  for  many  reasons,  he  could  not  glory  long 
and  boast  in  this  long:  first,  because  God  is  wonderful  in  all 
his  ways ;  and  then,  because  we  do  not  sufficiently  know  our 
own  hearts.  By  these  things  it  may  come  to  pass,  that  you 
either  may  not  rightly  understand  the  command  of  God,  or 
may  not  rightly  fulfill  it.  Thus  you  will  be  guilty  though  in 
a  most  hidden  way;  and  either  the  commandment  of  God  must 
be  made  null  or  altered,  or  God  must  stand  against  you,  whom 
you  thought  to  be  on  your  side. 

It  was  in  this  fear  that  Abraham,  as  I  before  said,  was  in- 
structed when  he  offered  up  his  son  Isaac.  This  indeed  is  an 
exalted  degree  of  the  fear  of  God ;  where  thou  art  obliged  to 
apprehend  that  God  and  his  commandment  are  not  for  thee,  and 
to  fear  that  they  are  both  against  thee.  In  a  word,  where  thou 
hast  to  fear  God  did  not  wish,  but  forbade  those  very  things 
which  he  really  did  wish  and  command.    Whereas  in  all  other 


PSALM  VII.  377 

cases  the  fear  is  only  that  we  have  not  done  those  things  which 
we  know  are  plainly  commanded. 

Who  can  endure  this  most  constant  inconstancy  of  the 
divine  contradiction,  so  to  speak,  with  an  all-constant  though 
incomprehensible  constancy,  but  he  who  is  a  "man  after  God's 
own  heart",  as  David  and  Abraham  were?  For  here  the  very 
truth  of  God  itself  seems  to  totter  and  excite  hatred  according 
to  all  human  judgment.  But  in  this  way  must  that  mercenary 
principle  of  our  servile  nature  be  destroyed,  whereby  we  wor- 
ship God  only  for  our  own  advantage ;  and  under  the  influence 
of  which  we  are  inflamed  towards  God,  and  for  God's  sake,  as 
we  imagine  and  are  filled  with  pride,  zeal,  and  hatred  for  his 
cause's  sake,  and  ready  and  willing  to  endure  any  thing  for 
his  name  and  worship  and  for  the  salvation  of  the  souls  of 
men,  as  we  call  it.  For  who  of  us  that  had  the  promise  of 
David  or  of  Abraham  would  not  show  forth  and  maintain 
this  command  of  God  even  before  angels,  if  any  one  should 
oppose  him  with  a  denial  upon  that  ground  ?  So  deeply  there- 
fore are  the  bent  and  feeling  of  the  flesh  rooted  in  man  that 
God  must  show  himself  to  us  as  if  he  were  a  God  inconstant 
and  faithless,  in  order  that  we  may  be  rightly  instructed  there- 
by not  to  trust  to  any  thing,  even  divine  or  eternal,  with  a  per- 
verted afl:'ection. 

David  here  mentions  the  three  things  to  be  destroyed,  which 
we  surrender  with  the  greatest  grief,  namely,  soul,  life,  and 
honor.  He  devotes  his  soul  a  prey  to  persecution  and  his  life 
to  a  trampling  under  foot,  and  his  honor  to  a  burial.  For 
in  the  Hebrew  it  is  said,  'And  let  him  bury,  set  up,  my  glory 
in  the  dust' ;  which  indeed  is  the  same  as  our  translation  but 
somewhat  clearer. 

He  seems  to  distinguish  "soul"  from  "life",  in  that  "soul" 
should  be  understood  as  signifying,  as  I  have  already  observed, 
the  substantial  life  which  gives  life  to  the  body,  but  "life"  the 
conversation  or  the  things  done  in  the  body  by  the  soul.  This 
is  the  distinction  which  the  Greeks  seem  to  retain  in  their  Zoa 


378  LUTHEK  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

and  Bios.  Though  we  use  the  same  word  lehen,  yet,  we  use 
it  in  different  senses  when  speaking  of  the  natural  Hfe  and 
of  the  works  of  that  Hfe. 

In  these  words  he  explained  what  his  mind  and  feelings 
were  when  he  said,  2  Sam.  15  :26,  "But  if  he  say  thus,  I  have 
no  delight  in  thee;  behold,  here  am  I",  etc.  And  also  when  he 
said,  16:11,  "Let  him  curse;  for  Jehovah  hath  bidden  him". 
For  then  he  was  ready  to  lose  his  soul,  his  life,  and  the  glory 
of  his  kingdom,  as  is  manifest.  Therefore  he  now  sings  these 
same  things  under  the  same  feelings,  that  by  his  own  example 
he  may  instruct  us  all  how  we  ought  to  think,  how  to  speak, 
and  how  to  act,  and  instructs  those  who  may  be  brought  to 
suffer  the  same  things. 

The  sense  is  therefore,  'If  I  am  such  before  thee,  let  that 
be  done  which  is  now  done.  I  willingly  submit.  Let  Absalom 
and  Ahithophel  seize  me,  neither  let  there  be  any  one  to  save  me 
from  my  persecutors,  nor  to  deliver  me  from  the  hand  of  him 
that  seizeth  me.  I  am  ready  to  bear  thy  will  and  to  endure  the 
punishment  due  to  me. 

Moreover  let  them  tread  all  my  life  and  the  actions  of  my 
life  down  to  the  ground ;  that  is,  let  them  destroy  and  cast  away 
all  of  them,  that  nothing  whatever  may  any  more  remain  before 
the  eyes,  in  the  ears,  or  in  the  memory  of  men  :  I  willingly  lose 
all.  Let  me  be  found  evil  in  my  Hfe,  useless,  and  pernicious, 
worthy  of  being  vilely  trampled  under  foot,  of  being  sup- 
planted by  all,  and  of  being  cast  away  as  dust  shaken  from  the 
foot.  But  let  all  raise  and  exalt  my  enemy  and  extol  him  to 
the  skies,  let  all  his  life  and  actions  be  great  and  wonderful 
before  thee  and  before  all  men,  and  let  all  that  he  has  done,  or 
now  does  or  will  do,  be  honored  in  the  same  way. 

Not  content  with  this,  he  says,  'Yea,  let  him  not  only  cast 
down  my  present  and  future  glory  and  power,  but  let  him 
bury  them  in  the  dust ;  so  that  they  shall  be  cast  away  for  ever, 
and  never  more  appear.  Let  the  throne  of  my  kingdom,  the 
wife  of  my  bosom,  my  children,  my  friends,  my  riches,  and  all 


PSALM  VII.  379 

that  I  have,  go  to  obHvion.  Yea,  let  that  glorious  promise 
made  me  concerning  a  future  Christ,  which  I  held  more  dear 
than  all  things  else,  and  in  which  my  only  hope,  glory,  and 
rejoicing  stood,  go  also;  so  that,  behold,  I  also  like  my  father 
Abraham  bring  and  offer  up  my  most  beloved  Isaac'. 

O  "man  according  to  God's  own  heart",  indeed!  who  can 
rightly  value  this  state  of  heart  and  mind?  who  can  rightly 
speak  of  it?  We  think  it  the  greatest  of  all  things  to  die 
voluntarily,  and  lay  down  our  life.  But  here,  David  is  pre- 
pared, not  to  die  merely,  but  to  be  seized  by  a  persecutor,  to  be 
delivered  into  the  hand  of  enemies,  to  be  put  to  death.  Not  to 
fall  asleep  gently  in  the  midst  of  the  tears  of  a  circle  of  dear 
relatives,  but  to  be  put  to  death  in  the  midst  of  enfuriated, 
mocking,  and  triumphant  enemies.  But,  as  to  us,  what  do  we 
not  perpetrate,  what  tragedies  do  we  not  act  out,  if  even  one 
of  our  works  or  our  words  be  blamed,  or  we  are  not  highly 
celebrated  ?  Whereas  here,  one  that  was  universally  renowned 
for  so  many  triumphs  in  war,  for  so  many  miracles,  for  a 
conquered  Goliath,  for  a  vanquished  bear,  for  so  many  godly 
works,  for  so  many  augmentations  of  divine  worship,  not  only 
permits  all  his  actions  to  lose  their  praise,  but  to  be  cast  away 
as  dust  from  the  shoes  and  trodden  under  foot  for  ever,  and 
so  trampled  upon  by  all  till  they  are  reduced  to  nothing ! 

But  as  to  us,  what  murders  and  acts  of  violence  do  we  not 
plan,  if  not  carry  into  execution,  even  upon  the  whole  race,  either 
for  the  maintaining  of  some  old  honors  and  dominions,  or  for 
defending  some  present  privileges  of  our  own  ?  Whereas, 
David,  though  having  been  anointed  king  three  times  by  the 
divine  command,  and  having  received  the  infallible  declaration 
and  promise  of  the  Christ  that  should  be  born  from  him,  not 
only  lays  down  the  whole  kingdom  and  all  that  distinguished 
honor,  but  is  prepared  never  to  receive  it  again,  and  to  remain 
as  a  cast-away  and  dishonored  for  ever,  permitting  all  those 
unspeakable  honors  and  ornaments  to  be  trodden  down  and 
buried  in  the  dust.     What  feeling  can  be  conceived  more  un- 


380  LUTHER  ON  THE  TSALMS. 

bearable,  more  sublime,  more  deep,  and,  in  a  word,  more  won- 
derful than  this ! 

David  had  all  these  things  by  divine  command  and  by  com- 
mands repeated  in  more  places  than  one.  Why  then  does  he 
not  in  a  rage  stand  up  for  the  defence  of  the  divine  right  ?  Is 
he  then  ungodly  for  not  maintaining,  defending,  and  preserving 
the  kingdom  thus  given  him  by  the  divine  command,  by  blood 
and  by  death  ?  But  we  at  this  day  seem  the  most  godly  of  all 
men,  if  we  confound  heaven  and  earth  in  defending  temporal 
things,  having  affixed  to  them  ourselves  the  title  of  divine 
right,  without  any  fear  of  God  whatever ;  whereas,  if  we  really 
had  any  of  these  things  by  divine  right,  God  vv^ould  justly 
take  the  whole  from  us,  being  offended  at  our  pride  and  con- 
tention. 

If  David  feared  that  the  command  which  he  received  from 
God  had  been  altered  by  him,  after  he  had  been  created  king  of 
all  prophets  by  so  many  signs,  miracles,  and  unctions,  and 
after  he  had  received  the  future  Christ  by  so  firm  a  promise, 
I  ask  you,  what  command,  what  promise  of  God,  we  can  have 
that  can  give  us  cause  for  so  much  pride,  war,  contention,  and 
for  tragedies  of  the  like  kind?  We  may  well  fear  therefore 
that  there  is  the  least  vestige  of  the  true  Church  there,  where 
there  is  the  most  noise  about  the  Church.  For  we  see  that 
God  is  most  jealously  impatient  of  all  abuse  of  his  promises, 
and  terrible  in  his  counsels  and  commands  to  the  children  of 
men. 

But  this  is  enough.  I  do  not  say  these  things  as  wishing 
that  any  one's  right  and  aim  should  be  taken  from  him  or  en- 
croached upon.  But  what  I  believe  is,  that  we  are  taught  by 
the  words  and  the  example  of  this  scripture,  that  whosoever 
holds  or  possesses  any  thing,  however  just  and  right  his  title 
to  it  may  be,  should  possess  it  in  fear,  and  not  defend  it  by 
force  but  by  prayer  and  patience,  and  be  prepared  to  yield  it  up 
if  God  so  please.  Indeed  the  true  force  and  meaning  of  this 
scripture  could  not  be  fully  understood  and  set  forth  were  it 


PSALM   VII.  381 

not  for  the  examples  of  the  present  age,  to  which  it  is  so 
exactly  adapted  and  which  it  so  clearly  portrays. 

For  in  this  way  do  the  Roman  and  Greek  churches  both 
sin  in  their  contentions  for  superiority  and  dominion,  while 
neither  yields  to  the  other;  whereas,  if  they  acted  in  the  fear 
of  God  each  would  yield  to  the  other.  Neither  of  them  would 
have  lost  their  superiority,  but  would  have  preserved  it  much 
more  effectually  if  they  had  attempted  by  prayer  instead  of 
aiming-  at  it  by  the  contentions  of  popes  and  high-priests ;  that 
is,  if  they  had  not  sought  to  do  it  by  the  will  and  favor  of  men 
but  by  the  mercy  of  God,  for  it  would  not  then  have  been  pre- 
served by  the  former,  but  by  the  latter.  For  in  this  way  David 
also  prays,  and  yet  offers  himself  up :  he  asks  with  Christ 
that  the  cup  might  pass  from  him,  and  yet  obediently  yields 
to  the  will  of  God.  As  it  is  written  in  the  law  of  Moses,  "And 
thou  shalt  do  righteously  that  which  is  right".  Hence  we  see 
that  he  who  has  a  most  just  cause  is  blamable  before  God,  If 
he  does  not  defend  it  in  the  fear  of  God.  God  regardeth  not 
the  proud  and  contentious,  however  righteous  they  may  be. 

Thus  we  read  it  was  in  the  case  of  Job,  in  favor  of  whose 
cause  God  himself  bore  testimony,  yet  he  himself  reproved  Job 
at  the  same  time. 

SuclWiumility  and  fear  are  necessary  in  the  present  day  for 
us,  who  are  contending  for  the  truth  of  theology  and  the  power 
of  the  church ;  for  we  shall  in  both  causes  be  condemned  by 
God,  though  they  are  causes  most  just,  if  we  do  not  seek  the 
mercy  of  God  by  prayer,  rather  than  aim  at  victory  by  a  re- 
liance upon  the  justice  of  our  cause.  We  are  indeed  to  pray 
that  the  truth  may  triumph ;  but  if  it  does  not  please  God  that 
it  should  be  accomplished  by  us,  let  it  be  accomplished  by 
whomsoever  he  will.  For  let  no  one  think  that  he  shall  accept- 
ably do  the  commands  of  God,  or  defend  them,  if  he  offends 
at  the  same  time  and  transgresses  that  greatest  of  all  the  com- 
mandments, the  worshiping  of  God  in  fear  and  humility.     For 


382  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

all  the  other  commandments  are  regulated  by  this,  and  without 
this  all  the  other  commandments  come  to  nothing-  at  all. 

Nothing  therefore  is  acceptable  except  that  which  is  done 
in  fear  and  humility.  But  where  shall  we  find  this  state  of 
things  in  the  church  at  present?  What  is  the  church  in  our 
times  but  a  certain  confusion  of  schisms,  where  a  tumult  and 
noise  are  made  everywhere  about  the  justness  of  causes  and 
the  divine  right,  but  all  without  any  fear?  and  thus  while 
we  fulfill  all  commandments,  we  set  aside  the  very  head,  life, 
and  standard  rule  of  all  the  commandments.  Oh,  blindness, 
blindness,  blindness ! 

V.  6.  —  Arise,  O  Jehovah,  in  thine  anger,  lift  up  thyself 
against  the  rage  (in  the  borders)  of  mine  adversaries,  and 
azvake  for  me;  thou  hast  commanded  judgment  {awake,  my 
God,  in  the  commandment  for  me;  thou  hast  commanded). 

These  v/ords  in  the  Hebrew  are  given  in  one  verse,  but  it 
is  a  verse  the  most  obscure;  nor  is  it  fully  understood  to  this 
day  what  or  concerning  what  it  speaks.  Jerome  translated 
it,  'Arise,  O  Lord,  in  thine  anger,  and  lift  up  thyself  with 
indignation  above  mine  enemies :  awake  for  me  in  the  judg- 
ment which  thou  hast  commanded'.  But,  'with  indignation 
above  mine  enemies'  is  not  in  harmony  with  the  Hebrew.  I 
therefore  will  make  bold  to  translate  the  passage  verbatim  from 
the  Hebrew  thus,  'Arise,  O  Lord,  in  thine  anger,  and  lift  up 
thyself  in  the  furies  of  my  persecutors,  and  awake  up  for 
me  from  the  judgment,  thou  hast  commanded'.  The  word 
which  we  render  'in  the  borders'  is,  in  the  Hebrew,  equivalent 
to  and  nearly  the  same  as  the  word  'furies',  or  angers,  and 
therefore,  following  Jerome,  I  have  rendered  it  'furies'  rather 
than  "borders". 

But  this  solecism,  'thou  hast  commanded',  which  our  trans- 
lators have  made  sense  by  the  addition  of  the  relative  pronoun 
"which"  is  found  also  in  other  places  of  the  scriptures.  As 
in  Psalm  51  :8,  "The  bones,  thou  hast  broken,  shall  rejoice". 
Where  we  render  it,  "The  bones  which  thou  hast  broken",  or, 


PSALM   VII.  383 

"the  broken  bones";  as  here  also,  "the  judgment  commanded", 
or,  "the  judgment  which  thou  hast  commanded".  But,  ac- 
cording to  my  judgment,  I  should  add  not,  "which",  but  'be- 
cause', or,  "for";  thus,  'because',  or,  'for',  thou  hast  broken 
them',  and,  'because  or,  'for',  thou  hast  commanded'.  And 
this  "arise"  or,  "lift  up  thyself",  or,  "awake  up",  is  equivalent 
to  'take  out  of  the  way',  or,  'destroy' ;  because  it  is  here  put 
alone  and  implies  power,  as  signifying  that  the  Lord  would 
send  a  destruction  upon  the  anger  or  rage  of  his  enemies :  in 
this  manner,  'Lift  up  thyself  against  the  wrath  of  mine 
enemies' ;  that  is,  'make  a  destruction  and  overthrow  of  those 
ragings  whereby  my  persecutors  rage  against  me',  namely, 
Absalom  and  his  party.  The  same  meaning  is  to  be  applied, 
"awake",  or  lift  up  thyself,  or  arise;  for  David  wishes  to  say, 
do  thou  raise  or  lift  up  thy  hand  against  these  furies.  Just 
in  the  same  sense  as  he  says,  Ps.  138:7,  "Though  I  walk  in 
the  midst  of  trouble,  thou  wilt  revive  me;  thou  wilt  stretch 
forth  thine  hand  against  the  wrath  of  mine  enemies". 

Then  there  is  that  expression,  "awake  up  for  me" ;  where, 
instead  of  "for  me",  our  translation  has  "O  Lord  my  God"; 
because,  without  the  points,  the  Hebrew  may  read  "my  God", 
or,  "for  me".  And  "awake"  applies  to  him  who  is  waked  up 
and  who  arises  as  out  of  sleep ;  as  David  says  also  in  another 
place  "awake,  O  Lord,  why  sleepest  thou"? 

Again,  'from  the  judgment",  which  our  translation  has 
"in  the  commandment",  seems  to  me  to  mean  the  office  from 
which  judges  and  kings  derive  their  name;  concerning  which 
it  is  said,  Ps.  i  :5,  "The  wicked  shall  not  stand  in  the  judg- 
ment". And  Ps.  122:5,  "For  there  are  set  the  thrones  of 
judgment".  So  that  "from  jugdment"  should  signify  the  same 
as  for  judgment,  or  for  the  purpose  of  judgment.  As  it  is  in 
Ps.  68  :29,  "From  thy  temple  at  Jerusalem,  that  is,  because  of 
thy  tempel  at  Jerusalem,  kings  shall  bring  presents  unto  thee". 
In  the  same  manner,  Ps.  4 :/,  "From  the  time  of  their  corn  and 
wine  are  they  increased".    For  this  use  of  the  letter  Mem  or  the 


384  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

preposition  a  or  ab  seems  to  have  a  force  equivalent  to  a  con- 
junction, according  to  the  sense  of  that  passage,  Ps.  81  14, 
"For  it  is  a  statute  for  Israel,  an  ordinance  of  the  God  of 
Jacob".  So  here  "from  judgment",  because  that  is  the  judg- 
ment which  thou  hast  commanded. 

Jehoshaphat  giving  commandment  to  the  judges  said,  2 
Chron.  19:6,  "Consider  what  ye  do,  for  ye  judge  not  for  man, 
but  for  Jehovah".  Directly  afterwards  he  commanded  them, 
that  they  should  judge  for  the  judgment  and  the  cause  of  the 
Lord  when  they  returned  to  Jerusalem.  Therefore  David 
prays  to  God  that  he  would  rise  up  for  him  unto  judgment, 
that  the  ungodly  may  not  prevail,  who  always  exercise  among 
the  people  their  own  tyranny  instead  of  the  judgment  of  God. 
If,  therefore,  we  receive  the  meaning  of  the  passage  thus,  it 
will  easily  appear  that  'commandment'  and  'judgment'  will 
signify  one  and  the  same  thing;  because,  in  judgment  judges 
execute  the  command  of  God,  whereas  tyrants  rather  subvert 
it,  as  has  been  said. 

The  meaning  is  therefore  according  to  the  peculiar  gram- 
matical construction,  'Arise,  O  Lord,  and  show  thy  wrath, 
that  thou  mayest  no  longer  suffer  these  things ;  oppose  and  pre- 
vent the  fury  of  my  persecutors,  and  stretch  out  thine  hand 
against  their  rage,  and  prevent  their  impetuosity  from  falling 
on  me.  Finally  awake  and  remember  me.  This  I  pray,  not  on 
my  own  account  but  for  thy  judgment's  sake;  lest  all  things  be 
rashly  perverted  and  confounded  while  there  is  none  to  ad- 
minister and  govern  affairs ;  and  especially  at  a  time  when 
all  things  ought  to  be  governed  by  thine  own  immediate  order 
and  command'.     So  far  the  grammatical  meaning. 

Now  calling  theology  to  our  aid,  let  us  inquire  why  he  prays 
for  the  anger  of  God  upon  his  enemies  and  why  he  arrogates 
to  himself  the  kingdom  when  just  before  he  had  been  so  willing 
to  give  up  the  whole,  and  to  benefit  his  enemies. 

First  of  all,  as  he  had  offered  himself  and  his  in  fear  and 
humility,  it  is  certain  that  this  prayer  was  not  uttered  in  a 


PSALM   VII.  385 

wrong  spirit.  After  he  has  ascribed  all  glory  and  righteous- 
ness to  God,  he  prays  in  safety  against  those  who  exercised 
tyranny  by  force.  For  the  fear  of  the  Lord  causes  a  man 
to  execute  the  divine  command  faithfully;  by  which  he  knew 
that  the  kingdom  and  the  administration  of  judgment  were 
committed  to  him.  Add  to  this,  that  he  does  not  seek  his  own 
here  but  the  things  of  God ;  for  he  says,  thou  hast  commanded 
that  I  should  hold  the  office  of  judgment  among  the  people. 
Therefore  he  chose  rather  to  use  the  word  "judgment"  than 
'kingdom' ;  that  he  might  show  that  he  was  concerned  in  the 
cause  of  God,  and  that  he  did  not  desire  a  mere  pompous  out- 
side show,  but  a  good  work.  Hence  Paul  says,  i  Tim.  3:1, 
"If  a  man  seeketh  the  office  of  a  bishop,  he  desireth  a  good 
work". 

He  prays  then  for  the  wrath  of  God  upon  them,  not  as 
desiring  that  they  should  be  destroyed,  but  that,  according  to 
what  he  had  said  in  the  preceding  Psalm,  they  might  feel  the 
wrath  of  God  and  God  himself  resisting  them  and  making  all 
their  attempts  vain,  and  might  be  led  to  repentance  and  be 
brought  right ;  for  if  they  felt  not  this  wrath,  they  would  go 
on  multiplying  their  sins  and  remaining  insensible  and  perse- 
cuting the  godly,  the  ways  of  the  godly,  and  the  commands  of 
God  without  end,  thinking  all  the  while  that  they  were  ren- 
dering God  the  greatest  service.  How  then  could  a  church  of 
the  godly  subsist  in  the  world,  if  God  did  not  at  some  time 
manifest  his  anger  against  the  ungodly,  and  judge  the  needy, 
and  avenge  the  poor? 

Therefore  as  he  himself  makes  stormy  the  depths  of  the 
sea,  so  he  again  stills  its  waves,  setting  bounds  to  the  surges, 
saying,  "Hitherto  shalt  thou  come,  but  no  further;  and  here 
shall  thy  proud  waves  be  stayed",  as  it  is  written  in  Job  38:11. 
So,  he  who  raises  the  fury  of  the  ungodly  can  also  restrain  it 
at  his  pleasure,  in  order  to  show  his  anger  against  it,  and  to 
manifest  that  its  malice  does  not  please  him. 

David  therefore  prays  for  three  things :     First,  that  God 


386  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

would  arise  and  show  his  anger  and  take  away  that  will  from 
the  enemies  upon  which  they  presume.  Secondly,  that  he 
would  restrain  their  fury  and  subvert  their  base  attempts.  And, 
thirdly,  that  returning  to  him  he  would  restore  the  judgment 
of  God.  Thus,  not  because  he  deserved  it,  but  because  God  had 
not  only  promised  it  and  done  it  himself,  but  had  commanded 
that  it  should  be  so;  wherein  the  prophet  seeks  nothing  else 
than  that  the  truth  of  God  may  be  established  and  that  his 
command  might  be  fulfilled:  and  he  says,  if  this  may  not  be 
he  will  willingly  yield  to  their  fury. 

And  here  he  begins  to  touch  upon  the  feelings  under  such 
temptation,  that,  after  the  darkness  of  the  tribulation  is  past 
his  confidence  in  the  mercy  of  God  began  to  brighten.  He 
teaches  us  that  we  should  also  learn  to  do  the  same  in  all  our 
tribulations.  For  all  these  things  took  place  and  were  re- 
corded for  an  example  unto  us. 

V.  7.  —  And  let  the  congregation  of  the  people  compass 
thee  about;  and  oz'cr  them  return  thou  on  high  {for  their  sakes 
therefore  return  thou  on  high). 

In  this  verse,  to  keep  to  the  sense  and  meaning  already 
proposed,  David  shows  that  his  concern  was  not  for  himself 
but  for  the  people.  For  he  first  prays  to  be  restored  to  his 
office,  not  for  his  own  sake,  nor  for  the  sake  of  the  people, 
but  solely  because  God  had  commanded,  that  the  will  of  God 
in  this  matter  might  be  done  first.  From  the  love  of  God  he 
comes  down  to  the  love  of  the  brethren  and  of  his  neighbor, 
that  by  this  same  command  of  God  he  might  serve  his  fellow 
men.  Grant,  says  he,  that  the  congregation  of  the  people  may 
again  compass  me  about,  cleave  to  me,  and  be  subject  to  me, 
for  he  speaks  in  an  optative  sense  by  the  future  indicative, 
as  he  glories  also,  Ps.  144 .2,  "Who  subdueth  my  people  under 
me",  for  this  redounds  to  their  salvation  if  they  obey  thee  who 
hast  set  me  as  king  over  them.  Let  them  not  stray  as  sheep 
without  a  shepherd,  lest,  as  men  without  a  guide,  they  fall  into 
the  hands  of  robbers.    If  I  am  unworthy,  yet  thou  art  worthy 


PSALM  VII.  387 

whom  I  should  obey,  and  they  deserve  not  on  account  of  me 
to  be  deHvered  over  to  scattering  and  destruction.  O  do  thou, 
therefore,  restore  me  to  the  head  of  affairs  and  gather  the 
outcasts  of  Israel,  Ps.  147:2,  and  the  members  into  the  body. 

Thus  the  godly  ruler  of  the  people,  as  far  as  he  himself  is 
concerned,  will  Avillingly  lose  all  things,  will  only  desire  to 
do  his  duty  to  God  and  men,  and  will  fear  lest  his  evils  should 
be  the  cause  of  his  people's  peril  and  destruction. 

As  examples  of  this,  look  either  at  St.  Athanasius  or  Hilary, 
or  like  characters,  who  in  the  time  of  the  Arian  heresy  were 
driven  from  their  stations  into  exile !  For  I  do  not  see  that  it 
is  possible  to  adduce  any  example  from  our  own  times,  be- 
cause none  now  a-days  dare  to  do  any  thing  that  is  likely 
to  subject  them  to  exile.  These  holy  fathers,  though  they  were 
most  free  from  all  iniquitous  ambition,  yet,  as  Hilary  him- 
self confesses,  from  the  debt  they  owed  to  the  ministry  and 
priesthood  committed  to  them,  they  prayed  that  the  Arians 
might  be  cast  down  and  that  they  might  be  permitted  to  min- 
ister unto  God  in  their  stations,  and  to  profit  the  people ;  for 
while  they  were  absent,  they  anxiously  and  grievously  feared 
for  the  people  intrusted  to  their  care,  lest  they  should  be  torn 
in  pieces  by  heretical  wolves ;  and  they  were  deeply  concerned 
also  lest  violence  should  be  done  to  the  word  of  God.  If  there- 
fore the  present  verses  be  prayed  in  their  persons  and  if  the 
example  of  David  be  considered,  it  will  be  found  that  these 
words  exactly  agree  with  the  feelings  of  those  who  are  brought 
into  such  a  state. 

A  parallel  example  would  be,  if  a  bishop  or  prelate  were 
excommunicated  and  banished  for  the  sake  of  the  truth  or 
because  he  was  faithful  in  his  office,  and  the  people  became 
alienated  from  him,  being  misled  by  pernicious  entreaties,  dis- 
tractions and  lies. 

For  if  the  people  were  not  led  into  danger  by  any  other 
evil  they  surely  would  be  stirred  up  to  lies  and  hatred  of  the 
truth  by  the  slander  and  abuse  of  their  prelate,  a  good  maa 


388  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

Since  all  Israel  was  perverted  and  corrupted  by  these  means 
David  sighed  the  more  eagerly  that  he  in  a  prayer  called  the 
wrath  of  God  upon  their  fury,  which  was  surely  necessary  to 
restrain  the  people.  For  it  is  better  that  the  godless  perish, 
than  that  the  people  should  be  ensnared  by  godless  teaching, 
as  the  apostle,  Gal.  i  :8-9,  uttered  the  wish  that  those  who 
turned  the  Galatians  from  the  truth  might  be  anathema. 

He  has  skilfully  chosen  his  words ;  so  as  not  to  say,  shall 
compass  "me  about",  but  "shall  compass  thee  about" ;  that  is, 
shall  be  gathered  unto  thee.  That  he  might  show  forth  that 
which  we  mentioned  before,  that  the  judgment  is  not  of  man 
but  of  God.  Therefore,  they  who  are  gathered  unto  ihe  man 
that  ministers  in  the  work  of  God  are  gathered  unto  God, 
and  not  unto  man.  He  has  reference  to  that  figurative  expres- 
sion in  the  sciptures  where  the  Lord  is  said  to  be  in  the  midst 
of  his  people;  as  in  Ps.  16:5,  "God  is  in  the  midst  of  her,  she 
shall  not  be  moved".  And  2  Cor.  6:16,  which  is  taken  from 
Lev.  26:12,  "And  I  will  walk  among  you  and  will  be  your 
God,  and  ye  shall  be  ray  people". 

Reasonably  and  most  appropriately  does  David  thus  speak 
in  this  matter ;  for  Absalom  and  those  who  imitate  him  do  not 
seek  to  gather  people  unto  God  but  unto  themselves.  They 
themselves  wish  to  be  idols  surrounded  by  the  people ;  for  they 
seek  not  the  glory  of  God  and  the  salvation  of  the  people,  as 
all  faithful  men  who  stand  between  God  and  the  people  ought 
to  do,  but  they  seek  the  increase  of  their  own  power. 

By  this  word  therefore  he  strikes  at  the  arrogance  and  am- 
bition of  those  who  command  the  people  only  to  aggrandise 
their  own  power.  That  this  may  not  be  done  is  what  the  man 
after  God's  own  heart  ardently  prays  for.  But  this  evil  most 
certainly  increases  in  the  church  at  this  day  beyond  all  bounds, 
and  that  by  the  wrath  of  God,  for  our  fearing  the  censures  of 
men  far  more  than  the  threatenings  of  God,  and  for  our  losing 
sight  of  God  altogether  by  having  respect  to  the  persons 
of  men. 


PSALM  VII.  389 

Then  with  respect  to  these  words,  "For  their  sakes  there- 
fore return  thou  on  high",  or  as  the  Hebrew  has  it,  "return 
thou"  etc.  He  does  not  say,  put  mc  again  on  high,  but  "Return 
thou  on  high".  Nor  does  he  say,  for  my  sake,  but  'For  their, 
the  people's  sake".  "For  he  says  it  is  they  that  I  pity,  it  is 
their  calamity  and  their  being  seduced  that  fills  me  with  so 
much  grief.  It  is  for  them  that  I  pray,  not  for  myself.  Be- 
hold therefore,  as  before  in  the  love  of  God  he  prayed  for  the 
judgment  which  God  had  commanded;  so  here  in  the  love 
of  the  brethren  he  prays  for  their  salvation;  thus,  equally 
anxious  in  both  respects  lest  the  judgment  of  God  should  not 
be  satisfied,  and  that  men  may  not  perish  on  his  account ;  that 
the  office  of  ruling  the  people  which  God  has  commanded,  and 
the  obedience  of  the  people  who  submit  themselves  to  it,  may 
stand,  that  there  may  never  be  a  people  without  a  God  nor  a 
God  withoujt  a  people.  O,  that  is  a  word  that  ought  to  be  com- 
mended to  all  the  bishops,  pastors,  rulers  and  leaders  in  the 
church,  and  held  in  memory  and  faithfully  observed  by  them. 

But  when  did  God  leave  his  seat  on  high  so  as  to  make 
it  necessary  for  him  to  return  unto  it?  Why,  it  is  so  often  as 
any  proud  and  ambitious  one  sits  in  the  place  of  God.  For- 
while  such  an  one  subjects  the  people  of  God  unto  himself 
rather  than  unto  God,  he  certainly,  as  far  as  lies  within  his 
power,  is  'exalted,  as  Paul  saith,  2  Thess.  2  4,  above  all  that 
is  called  God  or  that  is  worshipped'.  Such  an  one  as  this  is 
ANTI-CHRIST !  As  this  is  a  time  when  all  these  popes  and 
high-priests  in  the  church  are  thus  ambitious  and  domineer  over 
the  people  and  subject  them  unto  themselves  and  not  unto 
Christ,  who  can  doubt  that  Antichrist  is  reigning?  But  God 
returns  on  high  when,  casting  down  all  these  Absaloms,  he 
again  restores  his  judges  as  of  old,  who  gather  together  people 
unto  God,  teach  the  commandments  of  God,  as  of  old,  and  set 
aside  all  the  traditions  of  men. 

Let  no  one  wonder  that  the  returning  of  God  on  high  is 
his  reviving  his  judgment,  his  power,  his  office,  and  his  min- 


390  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

istry;  for  the  prophet,  as  we  know,  speaks  in  the  spirit,  and 
therefore  he  is  to  be  understood  as  speaking  of  a  spiritual 
exaltation  of  God,  who  is  exalted  when  we  are  brought  to 
submit  to  him,  when  we  hear  his  word,  and  when  we  see  his 
works,  and  when  all  these  are  wrought  by  the  ministration  of 
man.  ■   -^^ril 

Wherefore  this  Psalm  is  the  most  fervent  prayer  for  se- 
curing good  bishops  and  leaders  in  the  church.  Would  God 
that  we  each  to-day  might,  with  special  fervency  as  becomes 
the  words,  offer  this  prayer  in  behalf  of  the  church  of  Christ, 
for  there  never  was  a  time  when  such  a  prayer  was  more 
needed. 

But  what  do  we  see  at  present  in  the  church  that  at  all 
answers  to  these  words?  Where  are  to  be  found  men  who 
gather  people  together  unto  Christ,  with  the  same  anxiety  as 
they  gather  them  together  unto  themselves?  Who  is  now 
as  anxious  to  see  the  people  fear  Christ,  as  to  see  them  fear 
the  power  of  the  pope  ?  We  unconcernedly  smile  at  those  who 
ofifend  God  by  their  sins,  but  when  any  offend  the  pope,  we 
vent  all  our  fury  against  them. 

Then  we  compel  them  to  observe  our  pomps,  ceremonies, 
ordinances,  and  laws;  but  so  far  are  we  from  gathering  them 
together  to  the  words  of  Christ  and  to  the  love  of  the  Spirit,  that 
we  labor  with  all  our  endeavors  to  prevent  the  people  from 
understanding  Christ  and  the  truth,  and  to  hinder  the  believers 
in  Christ  from  being  in  peace  and  union  with  each  other,  es- 
pecially kings  and  princes.  We  have  dared  even  to  teach  that 
it  is  an  offence  to  teach  the  true  godliness  of  Christ,  that  is, 
we  teach  that  in  our  estimation  it  is  a  matter  of  no  small  peril 
for  the  people  to  be  admitted  to  a  true  knowledge  of  the  gospel, 
to  prefer  the  Word  of  God  to  the  words  of  men,  and  to  value 
the  works  of  true  godliness  above  all  the  foolish  outside  show 
of  works.  For  we  begin  to  think  that  if  such  knowledge  pre- 
vails we  shall  meet  with  famine  on  the  one  hand  and  poverty 
on  the  other,  and  that  all  the  pomp  which  we  have  scraped 


PSALM  VII.  391 

together  from  the  whole  world  will  fall  to  the  ground.  In 
a  word,  in  such  perilous  times  do  we  live  that  we  are  compelled 
to  adore  not  God  but  man. 

V.  8.  —  Jehovah  ministereth  judgment  to  the  peoples: 
judge  me,  O  Jehovah,  according  to  my  righteousness,  and 
to  mine  integrity  that  is  in  me. 

Here  he  plainly  shows  himself  and  discovers  to  us  what  he 
meant  by  God's  returning  on  high,  by  the  judgment  commanded 
of  God,  and  by  the  congregation  of  the  people  which  com- 
pass God  about.  Why,  says  he,  should  I  not  speak  thus?  It 
is  not  we  that  rule,  that  judge,  it  is  the  Lord  that  judgeth  the 
people,  and  the  judgment  of  the  people  belongeth  to  him  alone, 
it  is  he  that  speaks,  that  judgeth  and  does  all  things  in  us. 
Thus  Gideon  saith,  Judges  8:23,  "I  .will  not  rule  over  you, 
neither  shall  my  son  rule  over  you :  Jehovah  shall  rule  over 
you".  Behold  the  holy  man !  he  will  not  permit  the  people  to 
be  gathered  together  unto  himself  even  though  requested  to 
do  it ;  he  gives  all  over  unto  the  Lord. 

On  the  other  hand,  i  Sam.  8  7,  the  Lord  said  unto  Samuel, 
"They  have  not  rejected  thee,  but  they  have  rejected  me,  that 
I  should  not  be  king  over  them".  Not  that  there  was  any  evil 
in  asking  a  king,  or  in  having  one,  for  afterwards  God  gave 
them  kings,  but  they  by  a  blinded  heart  and  affection  were  more 
anxious  about  a  king  than  about  God ;  for  they  did  not  desire 
the  king  that  by  him  they  might  be  brought  nearer  unto  God ; 
and  therefore  they  were  just  such  as  ought  to  be  under  such  a 
tyrant  as  would  subject  them  to  himself  and  not  to  God;  and 
this  is  what  happened  unto  them  in  Saul  whom  they  desired 
for  their  king. 

From  all  these  things  it  is  manifest  that  it  is  an  evident  sign 
of  the  wrath  of  God  when  he  himself  does  not  reign  but  per- 
mits ambitious  Absaloms  to  hold  the  place  of  judgment,  con- 
sidering us  unworthy  to  hear  the  Word  of  God  or  to  see  his 
works;  as  he  himself  foretold,  Luke  17:22,  saying,  "The  days 


392  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

will  come,  when  ye  shall  desire  to  see  one  of  the  days  of  the 
Son  of  man  and  ye  shall  not  see  it". 

In  the  Hebrew  the  verb  is  in  the  future,  "he  shall  judge 
the  people" ;  which,  by  the  optative,  may  be  understood  in  a 
petitionary  sense,  in  this  way.  I  pray  thee  that  thou  wouldst 
be  the  judge  of  the  people,  and  that  thou  wouldst  not  suffer  men 
to  judge,  nor  thy  people  to  be  seduced  by  the  words  of  men, 
nor  by  the  burdens  which  they  may  lay  upon  themselves.  Or 
it  may  be  understood  assertatively  and  in  a  way  of  hope  from 
his  feeling  a  confidence  that  his  prayer  was  heard.  In  this 
way  I  prefer  to  understand  it.  I  feel  confident  and  am  certain 
that  I  am  heard  in  praying,  that  thy  Word,  thy  work,  and  thy 
judgment,  may  gather  thy  people  together  again  whom  these 
ungodly  ones  have  scattered  by  their  words  and  works,  and 
have  drawn  them  from  thee  on  account  of  me. 

After  he  had  expressed  his  concern  for  the  cause  of  God 
and  of  the  people,  he  begins  with  his  own  cause,  praying  that 
his  innocence  might  be  made  manifest ;  because  the  cause  of 
God  and  of  the  people  could  not  be  restored  in  this  instance 
unless  the  ungodly  were  cast  down  and  his  innocence  were  de- 
fended. Therefore  the  necessitous  state  of  the  glory  of  God 
and  of  the  safety  of  the  people  compel  him  to  pray  that  his 
own  cause  might  be  justified.  For  as  long  as  he  is  condemned 
unjustly,  so  long  it  must  appear  that  neither  the  judgment  of 
God  nor  the  obedience  of  his  people  is  true,  because  he  is  not 
heard,  though  the  accusations  and  condemnations  of  his  ac- 
cusers and  persecutors  must  of  necessity  be  heard. 

Hence  we  see,  that  it  is  not  enough  that  any  one  in  a  just 
cause  suffer  for  the  truth  and  commit  the  matter  unto  God,  and 
be  prepared  to  yield  and  to  be  brought  down  to  the  dust  to- 
gether with  al!  bis  glory;  but  he  must  pray  anxio'isly  that 
God  would  iudge  and  justify  the  cause  of  truth,  not  for  his 
sake  aud  advantage  but  for  the  vindication  of  the  ministry  of 
God  and  for  the  salvation  of  his  people,  which  is  not  without 
peril  nor  withoiit  thy  fault,  if  from  a  foolish  humility  thou 


PSALM  vir.  393 

dost  not  pray  most  fervently  for  the  preservation  and  mani- 
festation of  the  truth  and  of  thine  own  righteousness.  For 
thoii  oughtest  not  so  much  to  care  about  how  humble  and 
abject  thou  rnavest  be,  as  to  fear  that  the  people  be  drawn 
away  from  the  truth  and  from  righteousness  by  lies  and  iniqui- 
ty. Thou  art  indeed  to  bear  evils  and  injustice,  but  so,  that 
thou  may  est  not  throw  away  thy  love  upon  others,  for  love  ought 
to  be  solicitous  about,  not  how  thou  mayest  thyself  rise,  but  how 
the  godl}  may  be  prevented  from  offences  and  from  perish- 
ing. "For  my  brethren  and  companions'  sakes",  says  David, 
Ps.  122:8,  'T  will  now^  say,  peace  be  within  thee".  Thus  Paul 
also  gives  thanks  unto  God  that  his  bonds  had  not  caused  any 
impediment  to  the  gospel,  but  had  even  furthered  it.  Phil. 
1:12-13. 

David  says  therefore  as  thou  art  about  to  judge  the  people, 
as  that  belongs  to  thee  alone  and  as  it  is  thus  that  the  people 
shall  compass  thee  about  again,  and  that  thou  shalt  be  again 
in  the  midst  of  them,  as  I  have  prayed  thou  mayest  be;  now, 
therefore  that  this  may  be  brought  about  more  effectually, 
judge  me  according  to  my  righteousness  and  according  to  mine 
integrity  that  is  in  me,  and  thereby  show  how  false  and  lying 
these  curses  of  the  Ethiopian  the  son  of  Jemini  are,  lest  my 
righteousness  being  falsely  accused  should  in  any  way  hinder 
this  thy  judgment  and  the  salvation  of  the  people. 

We  have  before  shown  in  the  third  Psalm,  that  in  the 
scriptures  the  righteousness  of  man  and  the  righteousness  of 
God  are  different  things ;  that  a  man's  righteousness  is  that 
V.  hereby  he  is  unblamable  before  men  and  in  his  ow^n  con- 
science, though  that  righteousness  sufticeth  not  before  God. 
But  the  righteousness  of  God  is  the  grace  and  mercy  of  God 
which  justify  us  even  before  God.  Hence  David  most  care- 
fully adds  "my  righteousness",  that  he  might  distinguish  it 
from  that  of  which  he  speaks  at  the  end  of  the  Psalm,  saying, 
"I  will  praise  the  Lord  according  to  his  righteousness".  Per- 
haps he  says  "my  righteousness"  and  "mine  integrity"  with 


394  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

reference  to  the  two  things  which  he  had  before  said,  ver.  3, 
"If  I  have  done  this"  and  "if  there  be  iniquity  in  my  hands" ; 
which  he  had  said  in  defiance  of  Shimei.  So  that  his  "right- 
eousness" is  his  not  being  guilty  of  the  blood  of  Saul,  nay, 
his  not  having  rewarded  evil  unto  them  that  did  him  evil  and 
his  not  having  sent  his  enemies  empty  away.  His  "integrity" 
or  'innocence'  or  'simplicity',  for  the  Hebrew  word  means  all 
these  things,  are  his  not  having  invaded  the  kingdom  of  Saul 
by  his  own  authority. 

But  what  means  this  "upon  me"?  Jerome  translates  it 
"which  is  in  me":  but  whose  righteousness  is  not  in  him? 
Does  he  add  this  in  order  to  make  a  greater  difference  and  to 
show  more  distinctly  that  the  righteousness  whereby  we  are 
justified  before  God  is  not  in  ourselves,  but  in  God  and  out 
of  ourselves?  Yes,  he  does  it  to  leave  no  one  any  opportunity 
of  being  puffed  up  in  himself  on  account  of  his  own  righteous- 
ness before  God ;  though  for  the  sake  of  the  salvation  of  others 
we  are  to  seek  to  have  our  innocence  or  integrity  justified 
before  men,  as  was  said. 

V.  9.  —  Oh  let  the  zvickediiess  of  the  zvicked  come  to  an 
end,  hilt  establish  thou  the  righteous  (thou  shall  guide  the 
just)  ;  for  the  righteous  God  trieth  the  minds  and  hearts  {the 
hearts  and  reins). 

Here  the  Latin  translator  varies  after  his  custom ;  for  what 
he  translated  in  Ps.  5 :5,  "The  malignant  shall  not  stand  in 
thy  sight"  he  here  translates  'wicked'  or  "wickedness".  What 
he  had  rendered,  Ps.  1:1,  "ungodly"  he  here  renders  "sinners". 
But  what  ungodly  and  ungodliness,  malignant  and  malignity 
are,  I  have  abundantly  shown,  Ps.  i  and  5.  Aside  from  this 
the  Latin  translator  took  the  word  "just"  from  the  end  of  this 
verse  and  joined  it  to  the  following  verse  against  the  Hebrew 
and  Greek,  but  not  without  difficulty,  in  that  he  says  in  verse 
II,  "Just  is  my  shield  v/ith  the  Lord,,'  as  if  the  righteous  could 
have  with  God  another,  that  is  an  unjust  shield". 

The  Hebrew  and  Jerome's  translation  run,  "The  wicked- 
ness of  the  ungodly  shall  come  to  an  end,  and  the  just  shall 


PSALM  VII.  395 

be  established;  the  righteous  God  trieth  the  hearts  and  the 
reins". 

David  teaches  us  in  this  example  that  we  also  ought  to 
contend  more  in  prayer  unto  God  against  the  malignity  of  the 
ungodly  and  for  the  innocence  of  the  just,  than  in  our  own 
strength  and  with  our  noise  and  tumult.  For  we  are  to  fight 
with  weapons  different  from  those  of  the  ungodly.  They  con- 
tend with  noise  and  tumult,  but  we  are  to  contend  with  prayer, 
the  Word,  and  patience. 

Let  it  ''come  to  an  end",  says  David,  which  is  the  same 
as,  let  it  be  finished,  end,  and  cease;  as  we  have  it,  Ps.  104:35, 
"Let  sinners  be  consumed  out  of  the  earth,  and  let  the  wicked 
be  no  more".  On  the  other  hand,  contrary  to  this,  he  prays 
that  the  just  may  be  established;  that  is,  that  he  may  prosper, 
be  guided,  and  be  confirmed,  and  the  more  so  by  the  wicked 
being  consumed.  Nor  would  it  be  at  all  absurd  if  we  were  to 
read  it  'justice'  (jiistuni)  in  the  neuter  gender,  in  opposition 
to  the  "wickedness"  of  the  wicked ;  thus  taking  it  in  the  abstract 
for  righteousness,  or  for  a  righteous  thing,  or  the  cause  of  a 
righteous  person;  as  the  apostle  speaks,  Rom.  5  -.y,  "For  scarce- 
ly for  a  righteous  man  will  one  die".  But  these  things  are  of 
little  moment, 

David  then  is  to  be  understood  to  have  prayed  this  verse  as 
an  example  unto  us  in  order  to  instruct  us  in  right  affections ; 
for  he  did  not  offer  up  this  prayer  from  a  desire  of  revenge, 
but  from  a  zealous  love  toward  God  and  men,  in  the  same  way 
as  he  prayed  in  the  verse  preceding.  For  those  who  are  desir- 
ous of  revenge  do  not  seek  the  fall  of  their  adversaries  in  the 
last  place  but  in  the  first.  Whereas  David  here  is  concerned 
about  God  in  the  first  place  and  about  the  people  in  the  next, 
and  then  he  comes  to  his  own  case  in  due  order,  and  lastly  unto 
his  adversaries,  whom  he  desires  thus  to  be  brought  to  an  end, 
that  the  ministrations  of  God  and  the  salvation  of  the  people 
may  not  be  endangered,  as  we  before  said ;  which  peril  cannot 
be  taken  out  of  the  way  unless  the  malignity  of  the  ungodly  be 


39^  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

brought  to  an  end,  and  the  cause  of  the  innocence  of  the  just 
be  estabhshed;  and  that  by  the  judgment  and  avenging  hand 
of  God.  Wherefore  as  the  wickedness  of  the  wicked  in  the 
time  of  David's  tribulation  was  the  tyranny  of  Absalom  and 
his  party  who  oppressed  justice,  so  in  every  state  of  the  church 
each  just  man's  oppression  is  the  wickedness  of  his  Absalom 
and  the  violence  and  tyranny  which  he  endures. 

CONCERNING  THE   REINS   AND   THE   HEART. 

We  have  not  yet  spoken  on  "the  reins  and  the  heart",  of 
which  frequent  mention  is  made  in  the  scriptures,  and  there- 
fore we  must  once  for  all  treat  the  subject  here. 

In  the  book  of  Leviticus  nearly  the  whole  of  the  third 
chapter,  which  instructs  the  priests  concerning  peace-offerings, 
speaks  of  the  sacrifice  of  the  reins  or  kidneys  {renihiis)  or 
small  kidneys  {rcnunculis) ,  of  the  parts  that  hold  or  contain 
the  vitals,  and  of  the  fat  and  caul  of  the  intestines.  It  is  prob- 
able that  the  frequent  mention  that  is  made  of  kidneys  or  reins 
is  taken  from  this  part  of  the  scripture,  and  therefore  we  must 
come  to  the  nature  and  meaning  of  the  words. 

Physicians  say  that  the  two  kidneys  are  connected  to  the 
loins  and  that  they  are  the  organs  of  lust  and  pleasure,  as  the 
heart  is  of  fear  and  confidence,  the  spleen  of  laughter  and  joy, 
and  the  liver  of  love  and  hatred.  Hence,  they  will  have  it  that 
ren  is  derived  from  the  Greek  rco  which  signifies  to  flow,  be- 
cause the  obscene  humor  of  lust  flows  from  the  kidneys.  Hence 
to  the  loins  in  which  the  kidneys  are  seated  is  ascribed  by  the 
scriptures  the  shame  of  lust;  as  in  the  passage,  Luke  12:35, 
"Let  your  loins  be  girded  about".  Heb.  7:10,  "For  Levi  was 
yet  in  the  loins  of  his  father  Abraham".  Again,  Gen.  46 :26, 
"And  the  souls  which  came  out  of  Jacob's  loins  were  threescore 
and  six".  It  is  manifest  therefore  that  by  reins  are  to  be  un- 
derstood delights  or  pleasures,  which  must  be  offered  as  sac- 
rifices to  God  by  the  mortification  of  the  flesh. 

These  same  pleasures  or  the  sensations  of  delight  that  ac- 
company them  are  signified  by  the  caul  and  all  the  fat.     Be- 


PSALM  VII.  397 

cause  all  this  delight  and  all  this  love  and  the  pleasures  at- 
tending it  are  to  be  offered  to  God,  and  we  are  to  rejoice  and 
delight  in  nothing  but  in  God  who  alone  is  to  be  loved ;  as  he 
saith,  Lev.  3:17,  'And  all  the  fat  shall  be  the  Lord's,  by  a  per- 
petual statute'.  This  is  v/hat  Paul  also  saith,  Phil.  4  14,  taking 
away  the  veil  from  Moses'  face,  "Rejoice  in  the  Lord  alway, 
and  again,  I  say  re-rejoice".  David  understanding  Moses  thus 
in  the  same  spirit  shows  that  fat  signifies  joy,  saying,  Ps.  63  15, 
"My  soul  shall  be  satisfied  as  with  marrow  and  fatness,  and 
my  mouth  shall  praise  thee  with  joyful  lips". 

Therefore  he  that  loves  God  enjoys  God,  delights  in  God, 
and  rejoices  in  those  things  that  are  of  God,  he  offers  up  to 
God  the  liver,  the  reins,  the  fat,  and  the  caul,  mortified  to- 
gether with  all  their  carnal  and  corporal  lusts,  delights,  pleas- 
ures, and  gratifications.  This  is  what  the  law  enjoined  the 
priests  to  do ;  that  is,  all  Christians  are  priests  and  are  "an  elect 
race,  a  royal  priesthood,  a  holy  nation",  i  Pet.  2  :g. 

To  all  this  Augustine  agrees  who  everywhere  by  reins  un- 
derstands sensual  pleasures.  'Rightly,  says  he,  is  the  pleasure 
of  earthly  and  temporal  things  attributed  unto  the  reins,  be- 
cause that  is  itself  the  inferior  part  of  man,  and  is  that  part  in 
which  is  seated  the  pleasure  of  carnal  generation,  through 
which  the  human  race  are  sent  forth,  by  a  succession  of  off- 
spring, unto  this  life  so  full  of  all  sorrowful  and  fallacious  joy'. 

But  the  "heart",  because  it  is  the  seat  of  the  understanding, 
signifies  the  counsels  of  the  man,  his  pursuits,  mind,  judgment, 
opinions,  affections,  thoughts,  powers  of  valuing  and  esteem- 
ing, and  the  like.  Hence,  heart  is  put  before  reins,  because  it 
seeks  the  pleasure  by  imagination,  and  then  pleasure 
follows ;  and  every  one  is  delighted  with  those  things  which  he 
judges  will  be  good  for  him,  when  he  obtains  them.  Hence 
the  mind  of  the  flesh  is  said  by  the  apostle  to  be  enmity  against 
God,  Rom.  8 :7,  because  it  seeks  pleasures  which  are  contrary 
to  him,  and  is  affected,  delighted,  and  carried  away  with  those 
things  which  God  has  prohibited.    The  sense  of  the  passage  is 


398  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

therefore  that  God  alone  searcheth,  knoweth,  examineth,  and 
proveth  the  thoughts,  dehghts,  desires,  and  pleasures  of  all; 
because  he  is  a  weigher  of  the  spirits,  Prov.  16  :2.  Thus  far 
the  grammar  of  the  words. 

But  why  did  David  wish  to  say  these  things  here?  Or 
how  do  they  at  all  agree  with  what  preceded?  He  had  said, 
"Let  the  wickedness  of  the  wicked  come  to  an  end,  but  establish 
thou  the  righteous".  As  the  judgment  of  men  and  the  judg- 
ment of  God  are  two  very  different  things,  nay,  quite  contrary 
to  each  other,  David  in  the  sight  of  men  who  see  things  as  they 
outwardly  appear,  was  judged  by  Absalom  and  Shimei  to  be  a 
man  of  blood  and  guilty  of  many  crimes ;  for  as  it  is  said,  2 
Sam.  15:13,  "The  hearts  of  the  men  of  Israel  are  after  Ab- 
salom". Thus  Absalom  shines  as  just,  righteous,  and  good; 
and  in  the  eyes  of  all  David  was  vile,  ungodly,  evil,  and  in- 
jurious. Hence  as  it  is  a  most  powerful  temptation  to  be  left 
and  deserted  by  all,  and  to  have  all  our  friends  go  over  to  our 
adversary,  David  of  necessity  calls  upon  the  judgment  of  God, 
that  he  would  judge  according  to  the  heart. 

In  this  way  David  consoles  himself  and  confirms  his  hope, 
holding  a  good  and  right  opinion  concerning  God.  As  if  he  had 
said,  although  all  should  forsake  me  and  should  flee  unto  Ab- 
salom, though  he  should  be  established  and  I  should  be  con- 
sumed and  brought  to  naught ;  yet  thou,  O  Lord,  who  art  a 
just  God,  judging  in  a  manner  far  different  from  man,  and 
trying  all  men  according  to  their  hearts  and  reins,  knowest 
how  iniquitously  they  act ;  for  thou  seest  the  heart  and  the 
reins  and  thou  knov/est  what  they  think,  what  they  seek,  and 
in  what  they  rejoice.  On  the  other  hand  thou  art  not  ignorant 
of  my  thoughts  and  wishes,  though  my  enemies'  outward  ap- 
pearance and  mine  are  both  very  different  from  our  heart  and 
reins.  Therefore  I  pray  that  thou  wouldst  consume  their 
wickedness  and  establish  my  righteousness.  For  this  verse, 
in  the  Hebrew,  is  manifestly  a  petition,  because  the  word  na 
is  added,  which  is  translated  by  the  interjection  'O',  or  by  the 


PSALM  VII.  399 

verb  'I  pray' ;  thus,  "Let,  I  beseech  thee,  the  wickedness  of  the 
wicked  come  to  an  end".  As  it  is  in  Ps.  118:25,  "Save  now, 
I  beseech  thee,  O  Jehovah". 

We  are  instructed  in  this  verse  therefore  not  to  yield  in 
defending  the  cause  of  truth,  however  many,  nay  if  all,  fall 
off  from  us  and  go  over  to  our  adversaries ;  for  it  is  no  new 
thing  at  this  day  even  for  a  whole  multitude  together  with 
all  the  great  ones  of  the  land,  to  hold  an  error  and  to  defend 
an  unjust  cause.  Though  it  is  difficult  and  hard  to  bear  this 
being  left  alone,  because  when  this  is  the  case  fools  all  glory 
that  their  cause  is  true  and  invincible.  But  God  liveth,  whose 
judgment  must  be  called  in  to  our  aid,  and  firmly  to  be  adhered 
to ;  for  he  trieth  the  reins  and  the  heart,  because  he  is  a  just 
God.  Hence  the  word  "just"  belongs  peculiarly  to  this  verse, 
because  the  whole  force  of  the  scripture  lies  in  it,  and  by  it  is 
signaled  that  all  men  are  unjust  judges. 

From  all  this  it  will  follow  that  heart  and  reins  are  to  be 
understood  in  a  twofold  way :  as  being  unmortified  and  not 
offered  up  to  God,  and  on  the  contrary,  as  being  rectified  and 
purged  by  grace.  For  David  speaks  directly  afterward  of  the 
upright  in  heart,  and  shows  what  hearts  God  tries,  searches,  and 
accepts,  saying, 

V.  10.  —  My  shield  {defence)  is  with  God,  zvho  saveth  the 
upright  in  heart. 

The  Hebrew  is  thus  translated  by  Jerome,  'My  shield  '.s 
in  God' ;  for  it  signifies  protection  and  defence.  These  are 
the  words  of  David  exhorting  himself  unto  hope  in  God  against 
the  multitude  of  men,  who  are  his  adversaries,  and  who  trust 
in  themselves,  and  especially  against  the  words  of  Shimei, 
where  he  said,  2  Sam.  16:8,  "Behold  thou  art  taken  in  thine 
own  mischief,  because  thou  art  a  man  of  blood ;  and  Jehovah 
hath  delivered  the  kingdom  into  the  hand  of  Absalom  thy  son". 
Be  it  so  then,  says  David,  trust  ye  in  man  who  judges  accord- 
ing to  appearance.  I  have  found  my  defence,  I  trust  in  God 
who  judgeth  according  to  the  heart.    Wherefore  all  the  force 


400  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

lies  in  the  pronoun  "my"  and  "Lord",  and  those  two  words  are 
set  against  'your'  and  'man'.  Your  defence,  says  he,  is  in  man, 
but  mine  is  in  the  Lord.  This  is  how  we  are  to  act  in  all  like 
cases.  There  is  another  force  contained  in  the  pronoun  "who" 
and  in  the  accusative  "upright",  in  this  way.  Man  saves  the 
corrupt  in  heart,  but  God  the  upright  in  heart.  These  words 
are  very  necessary  for  those  who  are  enduring  tribulation,  that 
they  may  thereby  cherish  in  their  hearts  a  firm  persuasion  con- 
cerning the  mind  of  God  toward  them,  and  may  hold  it  fast 
against  all  arguments  that  may  be  urged  to  the  contrary,  that 
they  may  not  faint  in  their  hope  of  divine  help. 

What  this  upright  heart  is  we  have  fully  shown  in  the  first 
Psalm,  when  speaking  of  the  "counsel  of  the  wicked".  This 
upright  heart  is  when  a  man  has  a  right  apprehension  of  God 
and  when  he  is  not  led  according  to  his  own  senses,  that  is, 
when  he  believes  and  hopes  in  God.  For  it  is  faith  alone  that 
justifies,  purifies,  and  establishes  the  heart  by  setting  it  in  a 
right,  true,  and  holy  apprehension  of  God.  This  agrees  exact- 
ly with  the  subject  of  the  Psalm;  for  Shimei  endeavored  to 
prove  the  justness  of  his  curses  even  upon  the  authority  of 
God.  And  it  rightly  accords  with  the  expulsion  of  David  and 
the  usurpation  of  Absalom.  For  David  in  these  words  shows 
how  men  of  false  and  depraved  hearts  are  accustomed  to  show 
themselves  off  under  a  specious  appearance  and  to  revile  the 
upright  in  heart,  especially  when  the  applause  of  the  people 
joins  with  them. 

V,  1 1.    God  is  a  righteous  judge,  yea,  a  God  that  hath  indig 
nation  ei'ery  day.     Rev.  Ver. 

V.  II.  God  is  a  judge,  just,  strong,  and  patient;  will  he 
he  angry  every  day? 

The  Hebrew  is  different  from  this  translation  and  runs 
thus,  'God  is  a  judge,  righteous,  and  strong,  being  filled  with 
indignation  every  day'.  That  which  we  render  "strong"  is 
a  name  of  God,  and  is  the  same  as  el  :  so  that  it  might  be 
more  properly  rendered  'God  is  a  righteous  judge,  and  God 


PSALM  VII.  401 

is  angry  all  the  day' ;  and  therefore  the  word  ''patient"  is  added 
and  is  generally  called  in  by  interpreters  in  their  rendering  of 
the  verse,  though  it  is  not  in  the  original  text. 

Hence  the  hope  of  David  so  grew  in  this  temptation  that 
now  he  not  only  has  no  doubt  that  he  is  heard  and  will  be 
delivered,  but  also  begins  to  admonish  his  adversaries  to  fear 
the  judgment  and  vengeance  of  God.  Then  he  openly  declares 
that  all  that  they  had  devised  against  him  shall  fall  upon  their 
own  head.  Although  David  sang  these  things  after  his  tempta- 
tion, so  that  we  may  plainly  see,  that  he  offered  this  consola- 
tion to  the  persecuted,  and  denounced  this  anger  upon  the 
persecutors,  after  he  had  been  taught  by  the  very  event  of  his 
tribulations,  and  that  he  instructed  others  by  his  own  success- 
ful example  and  by  the  perils  of  his  adversaries ;  yet,  we  arc 
to  believe  that  he  meditated  upon  those  things  in  the  midst  of 
his  tribulation  which  he  afterwards  sang  in  his  psalms  in  public. 
For  he  never  despaired  of  God  and  therefore  he  knew  that  all 
these  things  would  come  upon  his  adversaries.  So  now  also  and 
always  every  just  man  who  sees  the  ungodly  unjustly  doing 
violence  to  the  righteous  may  with  confidence  think  and  say 
that  God,  whom  he  knows  to  be  a  just  judge,  will  not  sufifer 
these  things.  As  David  says,  Ps.  9:18,  "The  expectation  of 
the  poor  shall  not  perish  for  ever".  And  this  he  by  no  means 
obscurely  indicates,  when  in  the  same  history  which  is  now 
before  us  he  gave  such  anxious  injunctions  that  his  son  Absalom 
should  be  preserved,  because  he  knew  and  feared,  that  the  evil 
he  had  done  would  fall  upon  his  own  head,  as  it  also  happened. 
Here  he  declares  that  the  same  shall  come  upon  all  who  follow 
his  steps. 

Let  us  therefore  hear  this  holy  preacher  and  listen  to  those 
things  which  he  declares  to  his  ungodly  adversaries  with  pious 
solicitude,  desiring  to  rescue  them  from  dangers,  and  thus 
truly  rendering  good  for  evil.  Know  this,  God  is  a  judge,  but 
he  is  a  just  one,  who  has  no  respect  of  persons,  is  not  moved 


402  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

with  any  craft,  nor  changed  by  any  favor,  nor  corrupted  by 
any  gift.  For  by  these  things  men  are  not  only  rendered  un- 
just judges,  but  even  despisers  of  God  the  just  judge,  for  they 
think  it  enough  to  please  men.  God  as  judge  does  not  con- 
demn, for  the  sake  of  pleasing  men,  either  the  solitary,  the  re- 
viled, the  cursed,  the  oppressed,  the  poor,  or  the  despised.  In 
a  word,  even  this  one  word,  'God  is  a  righteous  judge',  is 
enough  if  it  be  truly  felt  and  apprehended  to  comfort  the 
humble  and  to  terrify  the  proud ;  and  this  had  great  weight 
with  Christ ;  as  i  Peter  2  :23  says,  "But  committed  himself  to 
him  that  judgeth  righteously".  For  he  that  thinks  on  this 
word  soon  lays  aside  all  thoughts  of  revenge,  nay,  he  even 
pities  his  adversaries  who  run  upon  the  judgment  of  God. 

"Strong,  he  is  angry  all  the  day" ;  that  is,  continually.  Do 
not  think,  ye  ungodly,  says  David,  that  God  is  favorable  to  you 
because  ye  are  exalted  and  become  powerful  in  your  iniquity. 
Know  ye  and  believe  that  things  are  otherwise  than  they  really 
appear.  God  is  wroth  and  hates  you,  he  is  indignant  at  you, 
he  threatens  you  all  the  day,  for  the  Hebrew  word,  as  they  say, 
has  all  these  significations.  These  things  must  of  necessity 
be  said  to  the  ungodly,  who,  because  they  feel  not  the  anger  of 
God,  neither  believe  it  nor  fear  it.  For  the  words  of  the  Spirit 
are  spoken  concerning  things  absent  and  not  appearing,  which 
are  to  be  apprehended  by  faith. 

But  our  translation  seems  to  reverse  the  whole  of  this,  mak- 
ing the  former  part  refer  to  the  ungodly  and  the  latter  to  the 
godly.  For  we  understand  that  God  is  just  and  patient  towards 
the  wicked  who  are  to  be  alarmed ;  and  that  his  not  being  angry 
every  day  refers  to  the  godly  whom  he  consoles  and  com- 
forts ;  according  to  Ps.  103  ig,  "He  will  not  always  chide, 
neither  will  he  keep  his  anger  for  ever".  Again,  Ps.  55  :22, 
"He  will  never  suffer  the  righteous  to  be  moved".  But  the 
Hebrew  more  appropriately  accords  with  that  which  now 
follows. 

V.  12.  —  If  a  man  turn  not,  he  zvill  whet  his  szvord  (unless 


PSALM  VII.  403 

ye  he  converted,  he  ivHl  brandish  his  szvord)  :  he  hath  bent 
his  bow  and  made  it  ready. 

The  Hebrew  runs  thus,  'If  he  turn  not,  he  will  whet  his 
sword'.  Though  he  that  whets  his  sword  and  prepares  it, 
makes  it  fit  for  brandishing;  so  that  whetting  and  brandishing 
do  not  differ  much  from  each  other.  But  it  is  doubtful  whether 
the  expression  "If  he  will  not  turn"  refers  to  God  who  is 
threatening,  or  to  the  wicked  who  is  to  be  converted ;  though 
Jerome  applies  it  to  the  man  to  be  converted,  saying,  'He  will 
whet  his  sword  against  him  that  will  not  turn'.  Perhaps  the 
verb  is  put  absolutely  "If  he  will  not  turn',  that  is,  if  there 
shall  be  no  turning.  But  whether  you  say  'Unless  ye  turn',  or 
'against  him  that  will  not  turn',  or  'if  there  be  no  turning',  the 
sense  remains  exactly  the  same.  Let  us  therefore  proceed  to 
inquire  into  this  sense. 

The  prophet  makes  use  of  a  plain  and  coarse  similitude  for 
striking  terror,  because  he  is  speaking  against  the  insensible 
and  hardened,  who  will  not  understand  the  severity  of  the 
divine  judgment  concerning  which  he  has  been  speaking,  un- 
less it  be  set  before  them  by  some  similitude  taken  from  that 
which  betokens  severity  among  men.  Therefore  he  does  not 
speak  of  a  rod,  nor  a  staff,  nor  of  any  thing  that  betokens 
severity  of  discipline  among  men,  but  brings  forward  that 
which  threatens  death,  namely,  the  sword  and  the  bow  which 
betoken  eternal  judgment,  eternal  death,  and  eternal  wrath. 
For  what  is  the  sword  of  God  but  the  word  of  eternal  judg- 
ment? concerning  which  Paul  saith  to  the  Hebrews,  4:12,  "For 
the  Word  of  God  is  quick  and  powerful,  and  sharper  than  any 
two-edged  sword" ;  by  which  Word  it  is  that  God  wdll  say  unto 
them  "Depart,  ye  cursed,  into  everlasting  fire".  And  the 
word  "sword"  signifies  cutting  and  slaying,  especially  when 
it  is  spoken  of  as  being  whetted  and  brandished. 

His  words  are  addressed  to  these  same  insensible  persons 
when  he  is  not  only  not  contented  with  saying  that  the  'sword 
is  whetted',  but  that  the  'bow  is  bent' ;  and  not  only  so,  but  he 


404  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

describes  the  'arrows'  also.  So  hard  is  ungodliness  in  its  front 
and  face,  that  all  these  threats  are  necessary,  nor  will  it  be 
softened  even  by  these.  The  bow  has  the  same  signification  as 
the  sword,  namely,  the  Word  of  judgment;  which  is  the  same 
things  signified  and  represented  by  these  various  things.  When 
David  saith  he  hath  'made  them  ready',  it  is  the  same  as  he 
meant  before  when  he  said,  "and  guide  thou  the  just".  So  that 
you  are  to  understand  that  the  bow  is  prepared,  bent,  and 
made  ready  to  strike  the  wicked  immediately,  even  as  the  sword 
also  is  brandished  to  cut  them  in  pieces. 

In  these  words  he  beautifully  describes  the  wrath  of  God 
as  about  to  fall  immediately  upon  the  ungodly,  of  which  never- 
theless they  never  understand  any  thing  until  they  feel  it.  Yet 
what  would  it  have  profited  Absalom  and  Ahithophel  even  if 
they  had  succeeded  and  prospered  for  many  thousands  of  years 
in  their  malice  and  wickedness,  if  they  were  to  be  overtaken  by 
the  sudden  sword  of  the  wrath  of  God  at  last,  and  cut  ofif,  and 
sent  to  eternal  death?  For  the  sudden  wrath  of  God  would 
be  all  the  while  hanging  over  them.  Hence  Sirach,  5  4-7,  'Say 
not,  I  have  sinned,  and  what  harm  hath  happened  unto  me? 
And  say  not.  His  mercy  is  great ;  for  mercy  and  wrath  come 
from  him,  and  his  indignation  resteth  upon  sinners.  Make  no 
tarrying  to  turn  to  the  Lord,  and  put  not  off  from  day  to  day : 
for  suddenly  shall  the  wrath  of  the  Lord  come  forth,  and  in 
thy  security  thou  shalt  be  destroyed,  and  perish  in  the  day  of 
vengeance'.  And  Ps.  34:16,  "The  face  of  Jehovah  is  against 
them  that  do  evil,  to  cut  off  the  remembrance  of  them  from 
the  earth". 

V.  13.  —  He  hath  also  prepared  for  Iiiui  the  iiisfniineiits 
(vessels)  of  death;  he  makcth  his  arrozvs  fiery  shafts  {he  hath 
ordained  his  arrows  for  t/ie  burning). 

The  Psalmist  still  pursues  his  similitude  and  he  now  aptly 
describes  the  eternal  torment,  which  is  to  die  and  to  burn. 
"Vessel"  according  to  the  Hebrew  signifies,  by  a  general  term, 
every  instrument  of  every  kind;  as  in  Ps.  71  -.22,  "I  will  praise 


PSALM  VII.  405 

thee  with  the  vessels  of  the  psahii" ;  that  is,  with  instruments 
of  music.  And  Ezek.  9:1,  "And  every  man  had  a  vessel  of 
slaughter  in  his  hand" ;  that  is,  an  instrument  of  death  or  an 
instrument  for  slaughter.  So,  Acts  9:15,  Paul  the  apostle 
is  said  to  be  "a  vessel  of  election",  which  those  who  are  ig- 
norant of  the  Hebrew  idiom  do  not  understand  to  be,  though 
it  is  so,  the  same  as  the  Latin  expression  instrumentiim  electum, 
'chosen  vessel' ;  because  Christ's  will  was  to  use  him  in  pre- 
ference to  all  the  rest  of  the  apostles  to  convert  the  Gentiles. 
They  understand  it  as  signifying  only  that  he  had  received 
electing  grace ;  whereas,  Christ  most  particularly  added  that 
he  was  therefore  "a  chosen  vessel"  unto  him,  because  he  should 
bear  his  name  before  the  Gentiles  and  the  children  of  Israel, 
and  should  suffer  many  things  for  his  name  and  Word's  sake. 

So  here,  by  the  same  idiom,  "vessels  of  death"  signify  dead- 
ly darts  and  weapons ;  which  words  he  uses  that  these  insensible 
ones  might  not  account  this  threatening  a  thing  of  naught,  but 
that  from  the  apprehension  of  temporal  death  they  might  feel 
the  terror  of  eternal  death. 

"He  hath  ordained  his  arrows  for  the  burning".  These 
words  he  uses  by  way  of  increased  force  of  expression,  thereby 
either  repeating  or  explaining  the  words  "vessels  of  death". 
That  they  might  not  think  lightly  of  these  arrows,  he  calls 
them  deadly,  and  for  terrible  purposes ;  thus,  still  keeping  up  a 
weighty  power  of  expression,  and  making  use  of  striking  and 
forcible  words.  Jerome  thus  renders  the  passage,  'He  that 
hath  wrought  his  arrows  for  burning'.  Our  translation  renders 
the  passage  obscurely  and  almost  barbarously.  For  what  is 
the  meaning  of  "He  has  made  his  arrows  for  the  burning"? 
Does  it  mean  that  he  made  arrows  for  those  who  were  burning 
to  cast?  The  reason  of  their  translating  it  thus,  was  the  He- 
brew word  being  in  the  plural,  ledolkim  ;  which  Jerome  has 
rendered  'for  burning'.  It  might  have  been  rendered,  'He  hath 
prepared  for  him  the  vessels  of  destruction,  he  hath  made  ready 
his  arrows  to  burn';  or  'that  they  may  be  burning'.     For  the 


406  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

Hebrew  cannot  be  rendered  literally  thus,  'He  hath  wrought 
his  arrows  to  be  burning'. 

Nor  is  it  full  enough  to  say  'he  has  made  his  arrows  burn- 
ing' ;  though  this  is  also  signified,  because  the  verb  "he  hath 
ordained"  or  'wrought',  of  which  we  have  spoken,  Ps.  i,  is  in 
this  passage  paal  ;  which  has  not  the  signification  of  any  work- 
manship or  art,  but  of  a  use  or  a  person  using.  So  that  it 
signifies  both  that  the  vessels  of  death  are  now  ready  and  the 
arrows  made  burning,  and  also  that  God  is  so  using  and  hurl- 
ing them,  that  they  slay  and  burn ;  and  therefore  it  sets  the 
wrath  and  severity  of  God  immediately  before  our  eyes  as  pre- 
paring for  its  execution.  For  he  is  now  preparing  to  execute 
his  wrath  that  the  ungodly  may  die  and  burn,  though  they  do 
not  yet  die  and  burn. 

Moreover  the  word  "burning"  signifies  also  persecution 
and  devastation,  Ps.  10:2,  "In  the  pride  of  the  wicked  the  poor 
is  hotly  pursued" ;  that  is,  they  sufifer  persecution. 

The  sum  of  the  whole  is,  there  is  no  doubt  that  under  these 
terms  "death"  and  "burning"  he  represents  death  and  hell, 
concerning  which  we  have  spoken  more  at  large,  Ps.  6,  under 
the  words  "anger"  and  "fury",  "rebuke"  and  "correct",  and 
also,  "confounded"  and  "put  to  shame".  Concerning  these 
arrows  Job  6  4,  complains,  and  we  find  them  spoken  of  in  many 
other  places  in  the  Psalms. 

It  is  observable  that  we  have  not  before  had  any  such 
threatening  and  indignation  denounced  against  the  ungodly, 
nor  has  the  Holy  Spirit  inveighed  against  them  with  such  a 
power  of  language.  In  what  follows  he  enumerates  their  pur- 
suits and  attempts,  which  were  not  indeed  wholly  in  vain, 
for  he  shows  that  they  all  turned  upon  their  own  heads,  that 
all  who  sufifer  the  violence  of  calumny  may  plainly  see  for  their 
consolation,  how  hateful  calumniators  are,  above  all  others,  in 
the  sight  of  God. 

V.  14.  — Behold,  he  travaileth  ivith  iniquity  {ungodliness)  ; 


PSALM  VII.  407 

yea,  he  hath  conceived  mischief  {pain),  and  brought  forth  false- 
hood {iniquity). 

Here  he  describes  their  mahgnant  purposes  which  eventually 
prove  injurious  to  no  one  but  to  the  authors  themselves;  V\^hich 
purposes  he  calls  "unrighteousness",  "pain",  and  "iniquity". 
Jerome  translates  the  passage,  'Behold  he  travaileth  with  ini- 
quity, he  hath  conceived  pain,  he  hath  brought  forth  falsehood'. 

The  first  word  which  we  have  rendered  "ungodliness"  or 
"iniquity"  is,  in  the  Hebrew,  the  very  word  aven,  by  which 
is  signified  as  we  have  observed  in  Psalms  5  and  6  "the  workers 
of  iniquity" ;  on  which  passages  we  remarked  that  the  word  is 
more  frequently  rendered  'pain';  as  in  Ps.  10:7,  "Under  his 
tongue  is  labor  and  pain".  And  so  again,  Ps.  90:10,  "Yet  is 
their  strength  but  labor  and  pain".  Hence  it  may  be  here  ren- 
dered "Behold  he  travaileth  with  pain". 

These  two  words  amal  and  aven,  'labor'  and  'pain',  are 
generally  found  together,  as  here  and  in  the  Psalms  above- 
mentioned.  Hence  it  may  be  here  more  properly  rendered  "he 
hath  conceived  labor";  for  it  more  properly  signifies  'labor', 
from  the  act  of  laboring;  as  in  Ps.  127:1,  "They  labor  in  vain, 
that  build  it".  We  have  in  the  German  language  this  manner 
of  expression  in  the  same  number  of  the  words  and  with  a 
like  meaning :  "it  is  pain  and  labor",  so  that  aven  is  pain  from 
causing  pain,  amal  labor,  from  to  labor,  in  order  to  express 
the  labor  and  distress  in  the  anxious  intention  of  the  heart  and 
in  the  severe  struggle,  fatigue,  weakness  and  disgust  of  the 
mind. 

We  have  said  that  the  lives  of  those  who  act  impiously  are 
thus,  for  "there  is  no  peace,  saith  Jehovah,  to  the  wicked.  Is. 
48 :32.  Such  know  nothing  of  the  rest  of  which  Christ  speaks, 
Matt.  II  :28,  29,  "Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labor  and  are 
heavy  laden,  as  if  he  had  said  who  are  in  amal  and  aven,  and 
I  will  give  you  rest".  That  is,  the  punishment  of  the  wicked 
so  closely  presses  upon  them  that  they  are  afflicted  and  dis- 
tressed in  and  by  the  very  act  of  doing    wrong.     Nay,    says 


408  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

David,  their  very  pleasure  is  labor,  Pliny  says,  "even  every 
pleasure  engenders  nausea  if  it  is  continuous".  Augustine  in 
his  Confessions,  Book  i,  observes,  "Thou,  O  Lord,  hast  com- 
manded ;  and  hence  it  cometh  to  pass  that  every  disobedient 
and  insubordinate  soul  is  its  own  punishment'.  And  Wisdom 
5  :/,  "We  wearied  ourselves  in  the  way  of  wickedness  and  des- 
truction :  yea,  we  have  gone  through  deserts,  where  there  lay 
no  way :  but  as  for  the  way  of  the  Lord,  we  have  not  known 
it". 

This  punishment  or  trouble  or  labor,  especially  and  terribly 
distresses  men  Vvdienever  they  endeavor  with  devoted  industry 
to  establish  their  own  purposes  against  godliness,  and,  as  the 
apostle  saith,  Rom.  10:3,  "being  ignorant  of  God's  righteous- 
ness and  seeking  to  establish  their  own  righteousness" ;  that  is, 
that  righteousness  which  is  exercised  in  the  work  of  all  iniquity 
and  in  spiritual  wickednesses.  Therefore,  as  I  have  said,  this 
evil  falls  principally  upon  those,  who,  under  a  superstitious  re- 
ligion, idolatry,  and  disobedience,  seek  to  justify  themselves  by 
self-invented  works  and  devotions,  setting  aside  all  the  while 
the  commandment  of  God  and  indeed  of  men  also  which  they 
bound  themselves  to  observe.  As  such  they  walk  contrary  to 
God,  God  walks  contrary  to  them ;  and  hence,  they  must  of 
necessity  suffer  a  great  deal  of  uneasiness ;  and  they  can  have 
nothing  but  labor  and  pain  in  all  that  they  can  do.  Hence  the 
Preacher  in  many  places  :  i  :i4 ;  2  :i  i,  17,  21 ;  4  4,  6,  8,  has  called 
all  this  "vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit".  Whereas,  on  the  other 
hand,  those  who  are  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God  and  yield  them- 
selves up  to  be  guided  by  it,  enjoy  much  peace  in  God,  even 
while  they  themselves  are  in  tribulation. 

Hence  \we  find  that  aven  was  rendered  "ungodliness"  before 
"unrighteousness"  here,  and  "pain"  a  little  later;  and  if  all 
these  renderings  be  put  together  they  will  give  us  that  "malice" 
which  strives  so  hard  to  carry  the  plausible  appearance  of  right- 
eousness and  godliness ;  whereas,  true  godliness  needs  take  no 
labor  or  pains  at  all  to  give  itself  the  appearance  of  godliness. 


PSALM  VII.  409 

Thus  David  here,  being  confirmed  in  hope  and  having  come 
out  of  his  temptation  victorious,  laughs  at  all  the  violence  and 
all  the  efforts  of  his  calumniators  and  persecutors ;  nay  rather, 
he  pities  them,  saying  before  them  all,  'Behold  in  what  a  state 
my  calumniators  are.  Let  any  one  behold  in  wh  it  misery  they 
are  involved  and  how  much  more  Vvretched  the}  are  than  I  am. 
Not  only  does  God  threaten  them  continually,  not  only  does 
he  hang  over  them  with  a  drawn  sword  and  with  a  bow,  with 
the  instruments  of  death  and  with  arrows  that  shall  burn  them 
up ;  but  they  are  tormented  with  present  punishment,  and  they 
now  receive  in  themselves  the  due  reward  of  their  malice ;  while, 
with  anxiety  and  rage,  they  wrack  their  inventions  to  find  out 
a  way  wherein  they  may  oppress  me,  and  whereby,  after  they 
have  destroyed  me,  they  may  remain  in  security  themselves. 
They  in  their  misery  have  more  distressing  anxiety  about  the 
way  in  which  they  shall  destroy  me,  than  I  have  about  thinking 
by  whose  hands  I  shall  perish.  Nay,  for  my  part,  as  I  commit 
myself  wholly  unto  the  will  of  God,  I  expect  all  that  may  come 
without  emotion.  But  they  cannot  be  quiet  nor  in  any  rest 
until  they  have  brought  forth  all  that  with  which  they  are  tra- 
vailing, and  have  accomplished  all  their  thoughts ;  and  yet,  as 
their  thoughts  are  against  righteousness  and  against  God,  they 
are  vexed  with  all  such  thoughts  in  vain,  "for  they  conceived 
devices  which  they  are  not  able  to  perform".     Ps.  21  :ii. 

David  however  touches  upon  that  which  Absalom  said,  2 
Sam.  16  :20,  "Give  your  counsel  what  v/e  shall  do" ;  at  which 
time  many  ways  were  anxiously  discussed  in  many  counsels 
how  they  might  kill  David ;  but  by  the  wonderful  providence 
of  God  all  were  in  vain.  Just  in  the  same  way  as  the  Jews 
tried  with  much  labor  and  pain  to  destroy  Christ. 

'We  always  find',  saith  Augustine,  'that  those  who  inflict 
punishment  suffer  greater  punishment  than  those  who  endure 
it ;  nay,  this  is  always  the  case  in  the  perpetration  of  any  crime. 
What  secret  snares  does  not  the  robber  or  murderer  fear !  what 
hour,  what  place,  what  man,  does  he  consider  safe!    With  what 


4IO  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

fears  is  not  the  adulterer  tormented !  in  what  stratagems  is  he 
not  entrammelled  before  he  once  perishes' !  Hence,  in  every 
kind  of  crime,  and  especially  in  that  of  calumny,  the  punish- 
ments suffered  are  far  greater  than  the  advantages  gained ;  for 
the  miserable  wretch  is  compelled  to  expect  every  kind  of  evil 
and  every  kind  of  danger.  Whereas  in  the  meanwhile,  he  who 
trusts  in  God,  like  a  fearless  lion,  despises  all  things  in  happy 
security,  relying  upon  a  consciousness  of  truth  and  innocence. 

We  are  thus  taught  in  this  verse  to  embrace  the  best  con- 
solation when  in  straits  and  tribulations ;  that  having  committed 
our  cause  unto  God,  we  may  not  be  distressed,  nor  over  anxious, 
nor  in  perturbation.  It  is  sufficient  for  us  to  know  that  we  are 
acting  in  the  cause  of  God,  in  which  case,  let  us  divide  the  suf- 
ferings with  our  enemies.  Let  us  be  vexed  by  them  externally, 
while  they  are  tormented  by  themselves  internally.  Let  them  be 
our  burden,  while  not  only  we  are  a  burden  to  them,  but  they 
are  the  greatest  burden  to  themselves. 

Behold  therefore  the  most  miserable  condition  of  all  calum- 
niators and  ungodly  men !  God  is  a  burden  to  them,  we  are  a 
burden  to  them,  and  they  are  an  intolerable  burden  to  them- 
selves !  Who  would  not  rather  pity  such  wretched  characters 
than  be  impatiently  indignant  against  them?  Every  one  of  us 
knows  that  all  these  things  await  the  wicked,  and  that  they  un- 
dertake such  things  as  are  here  mentioned.  But  when  the  hour 
of  calumny  arrives,  we  do  not  all  continue  in  the  same  mind, 
being  in  perpetual  fear  that  all  things  will  turn  out  prosperously 
unto  our  adversaries  and  against  us,  though  we  are  always 
ready  to  affirm  that  they  would  not  so  turn  out  against  others. 

Let  us  then  inquire  further  into  the  propriety  of  these  words. 
"Behold",  says  David,  struck  as  it  were  with  wonder  and  ad- 
miration, he  calls  upon  all  to  behold  this  singular  sight,  because 
it  is  contrary  to  all  natural  sense. 

"He  travaileth  with  pain".  Here  he  very  appropriately  com- 
poses his  words ;  for  to  be  in  travail  is  the  same  as  to  struggle 
with  pain.     As  if  he  had  said,  such  meditate    pain     in     pain. 


PSALM  VII.  411 

Which  is  a  metaphor  taken  from  women  in  child  birth,  in  which 
he  beautifully  describes  the  anxious  striving  of  the  ungodly  and 
of  calumniators,  which  are,  as  I  have  said,  to  establish  with 
much  care  and  peril  their  own  inventions  against  the  truth ;  in 
doing  this,  as  the  saying  is,  one  lie  requires  seven  others  to 
make  it  good,  and  to  make  all  appear  truth.  Jerome  saith, 
'Falsehood  requires  much  to  give  it  the  appearance  of  truth'. 

"And  hath  conceived  pain".  It  seems  proper  that  he  should 
have  reversed  this  and  have  said,  "Behold,  he  hath  conceived 
labor  and  travailed  with  iniquity" ;  because  conception  is  prior 
in  order.  This  seems  to  me  to  be  intended  to  describe  to  us 
the  mind  and  ingenuity  of  the  ungodly,  who,  when  they  are 
about  to  oppress  the  innocent,  are  mo^t  impatient  of  delay ; 
and  are  more  intent  upon  venting  the  malice  of  their  minds, 
than  upon  consulting  prudently :  they  begin  before  they  delib- 
erate. They  are  not  guided  by  reason  and  counsel,  but  carried 
headlong  by  impetuosity  and  temerity.  They  think  more  about 
seeing  the  thing  done  than  about  consulting.  When  they  have 
accomplished  their  wicked  design,  they  enter  into  consultation 
about  defending  properly  what  they  have  done.  Here  begins 
their  labor,  here  is  the  anxious  concern  about  defending  the 
iniquity  which  they  have  presumptuously  committed. 

So  Absalom,  after  he  had  driven  out  his  father  David  and 
had  brought  forth  his  aven,  said,  2  Sam.  17  :20  and  17 :5,  "Give 
your  counsel  what  we  shall  do".  So  also  the  Jews  first  appre- 
hended Christ  and  then  sought  false  witnesses  against  him,  that 
they  might  accuse  him.  Thus  also  every  calumniator  first 
brings  forth  his  aven  and  imposes  upon  his  neighbor,  and  after- 
wards seeks  to  persist  therein  under  a  show  of  justice  and 
security;  concerning  which  character,  Prov.  30:20,  "So  is  the 
way  of  an  adulterous  woman ;  she  eateth,  and  wipeth  her 
mouth,  and  saith,  I  have  done  no  wickedness".  "Travail  with 
pain"  and  "conceive  labor"  we  are  accustomed  to  express  In 
German",  you  start  a  misfortune  and  then  you  will  have  some- 
thing to  do".    And  the  proverb,  "You  have  broken  in  and  you 


412  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

will  hardly  find  your  way  out".  These  imprudent  workers  of 
iniquity  therefore  begin  both  difficulty  and  peril;  that  is,  they 
bring  forth  their  pain  and  then  with  much  labor  and  toil  en- 
deavor to  defend  what  they  have  done. 

David  teaches  us  therefore  most  beautifully  that  an  evil  com- 
mitted before  counsel  is  taken  brings  on  pain,  and  counsel  after 
the  commission,  labor.  Both  kinds  of  temerity  and  folly  await 
such  ungodly  calumniators,  both  the  act  before  the  counsel, 
and  the  counsel  after  the  act ;  for  to  the  perverse  all  things  are 
perverse.  But  one  may  understand  this  conception  of  labor  as 
being  together  with  the  bringing  forth  of  pain.  For  ungodly 
calumniators  say  thus,  when  they  enter  upon  the  commission 
of  their  evil,  let  us  go  on  and  act.  After  the  act  is  committed 
something  will  follow  which  will  enable  us  to  answer  for  what 
we  have  done,  or  to  defend  it.  As  the  Jews  acted,  according  to 
the  history  in  Matt.  28:14,  when  they  corrupted  the  guards 
with  money  that  the  truth  of  Christ's  resurrection  might  not 
be  published  abroad :  for  they  said,  "And  if  this  come  to  the 
governor's  ears,  we  will  persuade  him  and  rid  you  of  care". 
Only  behold  here  how  they  conceive  pain,  while  they  burden 
themselves  with  a  pledge  that  they  will  find  future  security.  In 
this  way  did  Absalom  and  his  party  audaciously  bring  forth 
their  aven  ;  but  they  have  not  yet  brought  forth  the  counsel 
while  they  bring  forth  the  act ;  as  we  have  it  written,  Prov. 
14:16,  "A  wise  man  feareth  and  departeth  from  evil;  but  the 
fool  beareth  himself  insolently  and  is  confident".  That  which 
they  bring  forth  from  this  conception  is  shown  in  the  following. 

"And  brought  forth  iniquity" ;  which  in  Hebrew  is  lying 
or  falsehood,  or  vanity ;  and  this  exactly  accords  with  that 
which  I  have  mentioned  as  the  design  of  this  psalm.  For  these 
are  the  counsels,  the  defences,  and  the  excuses  of  the  godly 
after  their  wickedness  is  committed.  They  are  mere  frigid 
evasions,  lying  delusions,  and  vain  deceptions,  with  which  they 
set  themselves  off,  persuade  the  people,  and  destroy  those  whom 
they  oppress.    Such  are  also  all  their  vain  attempts  to  establish 


PSALM  VII.  413 

their  own  temerity.  In  all  which  they  lose  much  labor  and 
pains,  and  yet  all  is  in  vain.  These  things  we  find  are  con- 
tinually taking  place  in  our  day.  But  in  this  place  we  are  more 
particularly  to  understand  the  deceiving  and  vain  birth  than 
the  iniquitous  birth.  For  he  is  speaking  of  the  vain  attempts 
and  fruitless  counsel  by  which  Absalom  was  deceived,  and  in 
which  he  was  disappointed,  when,  collecting  all  Israel  together, 
he  sought  to  destroy  David.  For  in  all  this  his  counsel  and  birth 
all  proved  so  vain,  that  they  fell  upon  his  own  head ;  and  the 
very  snares  he  had  laid  for  David  destroyed  himself,  as  follows. 

V.  15.  —  He  had  made  a  pit  {opened  a  lake)  and  digged  it, 
and  is  fallen  info  the  ditch  ivhich  he  made. 

Here  the  prophet  allegorizes,  so  that,  as  I  have  said  under 
the  allegory  he  might  set  forth  the  true  state  of  things.  In 
the  same  manner  as  the  cross  of  Christ  is  an  allegorical  life, 
appearing  to  kill  while  it  makes  alive;  for  in  the  same  way 
Absalom  here  opens  a  lake  and  digs  it  that  he  might  drive  David 
into  it,  not  knowing  that  by  this  stratagem  he  should  deliver 
David  and  destroy  himself.  And  David  touches  upon  this ;  that 
Absalom,  relying  on  the  multitude,  thought  that  he  should  soon 
destroy  David,  one  poor  solitary  creature,  left  and  forsaken  by 
all.  For  this  is  signified  by  the  lake  of  death  which  he  prepared 
and  dug.  But  behold,  this  very  thing  happened  unto  himself; 
for  being  deserted  by  all  and  being  hung  up  alone  upon  an 
oak,  he  was  pierced  through  and  thrown  into  a  deep  pit  in  the 
wood,  and  a  very  great  heap  of  stones  was  cast  upon  him ;  as 
is  recorded  in  2  Sam.  18:17.  This  is  the  pit  of  which  David 
here  speaks  and  which  he  uses  for  the  allegory.  But  Absalom 
had  not  prepared  that  pit  for  David,  though  he  intended  that 
death  for  him  which  he  himself  suffered.  Hence  we  say  often 
in  common  life  that  a  certain  trap  was  laid  for  us  and  that 
our  adversary  fell  into  it  himself,  though  he  himself  did  not 
intend  any  such  thing.  Wherefore  this  verse  is  proverbial 
and  contains  a  common  saying;  according  to  the  well-known 
hi  es  of  the  poet, 


414  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

No  law's  more  just  than  when  the  wicked  schemes 

Of  wicked  men  upon  themselves  are  turn'd. 

These  things,  as  I  have  said,  are  spoken  for  the  consolation 
of  the  oppressed,  that  they  may  rest  assured  that  the  evil  which 
is  planned  against  them  will  fall  upon  the  head  of  their  slander- 
ers. They  are  spoken  also  to  strike  terror  into  these  calumniat- 
ors and  persecutors,  whose  daring  presumption  and  security 
are  to  be  alarmed,  and  the  weakness  of  the  oppressed  to  be 
confirmed  and  strengthened. 

Observe  how  he  describes  the  ardor  and  the  panting  fury 
of  the  ungodly.  For  he  does  not  simply  say  "hath  made  a  lake", 
as  he  afterward  said  "hath  made  a  pit" ;  but  he  says  hath 
"opened"  and  "dug"  a  lake.  As  if  he  had  said  with  Prov. 
I  :i6,  "For  their  feet  run  to  evil,  and  they  make  haste  to  shed 
blood".  So  busy  and  laborious  are  they  in  digging  and  pre- 
paring their  lake.  They  leave  nothing  untried,  they  search  into 
all  things,  and  dive  into  every  expedient.  Not  content  with 
"opening"  only,  they  "dig"  the  lake  and  make  it  deep,  that 
they  may  the  more  terribly  and  effectually  destroy  the  innocent. 

Thus  the  Jews,  though  they  hastened  to  destroy  Christ  and 
made  every  preparation  for  that  purpose;  yet,  they  were  not 
content  with  any  simple  kind  of  death,  but  digging  as  it  were 
a  most  deep  pit,  they  procured  for  him  the  most  ignominious 
death  of  the  cross.  So  no  calumniator  is  content  with  destroy- 
ing his  neighbor  in  the  most  dreadful  manner,  but  he  will  do 
it  in  the  most  ignominious  manner  also. 

This  ignominious  death  is  indicated  by  digging  the  lake 
deeper  which  was  already  prepared ;  because  the  persons  cast  in 
is  the  farther  from  the  light  and  hope  of  recovery  the  deeper 
he  is  plunged.  For  no  ungodly  man  is  such  a  fool  as  to  suffer 
the  least  appearance  of  his  having  destroyed  the  innocent  with- 
out cause ;  nay,  the  more  malignant  he  is,  the  niore  he  seeks  to 
make  that  his  own  cause  was  most  just  and  that  his  neighbor 
was  destroyed  as  having  most  basely  deserved  it.  Therefore 
such  an  one  must  dig  the  lake  deep  that  is  already  opened 


PSALM  VII.  415 

and  prepared.  But  on  the  other  hand  he  is  not  said  to  have 
'opened',  nor  to  have  'dug'  the  pit  for  himself,  but  to  have 
'made'  it ;  because  he  did  not  seek  his  own  destruction  and 
shame,  but  fell  into  them  when  he  least  expected  it. 

Again,  here  is  a  solecism.  "He  is  fallen  into  the  ditch,  he 
made" ;  where  our  translators  add  the  relative  "which",  but 
I  should  have  put  'because'  or  'for',  as  I  have  observed  at  verse 
6.  Where  we  have  "he  hath  opened"  the  Hebrew  has  "he  hath 
prepared".  Though  tliese  are  things  of  no  consequence,  be- 
cause in  either  case  we  understand  it  that  the  lake  was  prepared 
before  it  was  dug,  which  is  contrary  to  the  general  ideas  of 
all ;  because  David  would  have  us  to  understand  by  it  that 
which  I  have  set  forth. 

V.  16.  —  His  mischief  (pain)  shall  return  upon  his  oivn 
head,  and  his  violence  (iniquity)  shall  come  down  upon  his 
own  pate. 

The  word  here  is  not  aven  but  amal,  which  properly  sig- 
nifies pain  and  labor,  as  I  have  before  observed.  "His  labor, 
says  David,  shall  return  upon  his  own  head".  And  "iniquity" 
here  is  in  the  Hebrew  a  word  that  we  have  not  had  before ;  it  is 
iiAMAS,  which  properly  signifies  rapacity,  violence,  or  an  in- 
jury which  by  force  arrogates  to  itself  a  tyranny,  in  the  same 
way  as  hawks  seize  upon  little  birds.  For  Reuchlin  says  that 
the  night  hawk  is  named  from  this  word  hamas. 

David  has  respect  to  that  which  he  said  in  the  beginning, 
"Lest  he  seize  my  soul  like  a  lion".  For  Absalom,  having 
collected  all  the  people,  had  prepared  to  seize  David  by  force 
and  to  devour  him ;  whereas,  he  as  miserably  seized  and  de- 
voured himself,  and  thus  his  attempts  and  his  labor  all  fell 
upon  his  own  head.  The  sense  seems  to  be  the  same  as  that 
contained  in  the  preceding  verse,  the  allegory  of  which  he 
here  explains  in  plain  words.  Unless  it  be  considered  to  dififer 
from  the  preceding  in  this,  that  in  the  preceding  verse  the 
work  or  act  was  designed,  that  is,  death  and  perdition,  set  forth 
by  the  "lake"  and  "the  pit" ;  and  in  this,  the  counsel  and  wis- 


4l6  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

dom  by  which  the  lake  and  pit  were  prepared  and  dug;  that 
we  may  understand  that  God  is  so  concerned  for  those  who  are 
oppressed  with  cahminy,  and  so  wroth  against  their  calumniat- 
ors, that  he  turns  the  evil  which  they  planned  and  the  counsel 
by  which  they  planned  it  upon  themselves ;  and  that  thus  we 
may  not  faint  nor  fall  from  our  hope. 

For  this  is  the  incomprehensible  of  the  judgment  of  God, 
that  he  takes  the  ungodly  by  their  own  counsel  and  casts  them 
into  the  destruction  which  they  had  themselves  prepared  and 
invented.  Thus  Goliah  fell  by  his  own  sword.  Thus  it  is 
said,  Job  5  :i2  etc.,  "He  frustrateth  the  devices  of  the  crafty, 
so  that  their  hands  cannot  perform  their  enterprise.  He  taketh 
the  wise  in  their  own  craftiness ;  and  the  counsel  of  the  fro- 
ward  is  carried  headlong.  They  meet  with  darkness  in  the 
day-time,  and  grope  in  the  noon-day  as  in  the  night" ;  that  is, 
they  are  then  the  most  foolish  and  most  blind  when  they  are, 
in  their  own  views,  the  most  clear-sighted  and  wise. 

With  a  powerful  force  of  language  therefore  he  calls  their 
counsels,  their  craftiness,  and  their  wisdom,  labor.  Indeed 
they  have  nothing  from  all  this  but  labor;  for  the  expected 
fruits  of  all  their  devices  never  follow  because  God  resists 
them.  So  in  the  case  of  the  Jews  who  meditated  the  destruc- 
tion of  Christ,  what  did  they  else  but  labor  in  vain,  and,  as  it 
is  said  in  Ps.  2:1,  "meditate  a  vain  thing"?  But  David  here 
does  not  only  call  it  labor,  but  says  that  it  'returned  upon  their 
own  head' ;  for  by  that  very  counsel  which  Absalom  had  formed 
for  the  destruction  of  David,  relying  upon  the  multitude,  he 
himself  perished :  who  would  have  been  safer,  if,  according  to 
the  counsel  of  Ahithophel,  he  had  remained  in  the  city  and 
sent  out  those  two  thousand  nien.  But  as  the  scripture  saith, 
by  the  will  of  God  the  useful  counsel  of  Ahithophel  was  dis- 
regarded, that  the  Lord  might  bring  upon  Absalom  the  evil 
intended. 

The  scripture  holds  out  consolation  to  us  when  it  teaches 
us  that  the  ferocity  of  the  wicked  is  nothing  but  a  mere  great 


PSALM  VII.  417 

and  vain  attempt  rather  than  any  act,  and  such  an  attempt  as 
will  surely  fall  upon  the  heads  of  the  projectors  of  it.  So 
the  waves  and  swellings  of  the  sea  seem  as  if  they  would  over- 
whelm the  shore,  but  it  presently  falls  back  upon  itself  and 
vanishes,  leaving  its  threatening  surges  a  laughing-stock  to 
the  spectators. 

This  figure  of  speech  is  very  common  in  the  scriptures,  this 
returning,  or  falling,  or  descending  upon  the  head  and  upon 
the  pate,  etc.  Thus  Sirach  27:25-27,  "Whoso  casteth  a  stone 
on  high  casteth  it  on  his  own  head ;  and  a  deceitful  stroke  shall 
make  wounds.  Whoso  diggeth  a  pit  shall  fall  therein :  and 
he  that  setteth  a  trap  shall  be  taken  therem.  He  that  worketh 
mischief  it  shall  fall  upon  him,  and  he  shall  not  know  whence 
it  Cometh".  With  the  same  figure  it  is  said,  2  Sam.  i  :i6,  "Thy 
blood  be  upon  thy  head".  And  indeed  all  things  both  evil  and 
good  that  are  invoked,  are  invoked  upon  the  head.  So  Deut. 
33:16,  'Let  the  blessing  of  him  that  dwelt  in  the  bush  come 
upon  the  head  of  Joseph'.  Because  the  head  is  the  first  and 
most  worthy  member  of  the  whole  body. 

David  indicates  at  the  same  time  that  both  good  and  evil 
are  sent  down  upon  the  head  by  God,  both  the  punishment  of 
the  ungodly  and  the  salvation  of  the  godly.  Therefore  it  is 
by  the  commandment  of  God  that  the  iniquity  of  the  calumniat- 
or descends  upon  his  own  pate  and  his  labor  upon  his  own  head. 

But  by  a  repetition  the  returning  of  the  labor  upon  the 
pate  and  the  descending  of  the  iniquity  upon  the  head  seem  to 
indicate  the  same  thing.  It  is  thus  repeated  that  its  certainty 
might  be  set  forth,  as  we  have  observed.  For  the  ungodly 
being  insensible  laugh  at  all  the  threatenings  of  God,  as  if 
they  would  never  take  place,  or  at  least  were  put  off  for  a 
considerable  time;  and  therefore  these  terrible  things  are  to 
be  inculcated  into  them  repeatedly. 

V.  17.  —  /  ivill  give  thanks  unto  Jehovah  according  to  his 
righteousness,  and  zvill  sing  praise  to  the  name  of  Jehovah 
Most  High, 


4l8  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

He  concludes  this  Psalm  and  prayer  in  a  beautiful  way.  As 
if  he  had  said,  all  these  things  have  been  said  and  all  these 
petitions  have  I  offered  on  account  of  the  cursings,  the  calum- 
nies, and  the  injuries  of  Shimei  and  of  his  men,  in  defence 
of  my  ignorance  and  righteousness  as  far  as  my  conscience 
is  concerned,  and  with  respect  to  these  things  in  the  sight  of 
men.  But  I  do  not  trust  in  this  my  righteousness,  nor  do 
I  consider  it  to  be  such  that  I  can  stand  in  it  before  God ;  as 
the  apostle  saith,  i  Cor.  4:4,  "I  know  nothing  against  myself; 
yet  am  I  not  thereby  justified".  And  again,  2  Cor.  10:  17-18, 
"He  that  glorieth  let  him  glory  in  the  Lord".  "For  not  he 
that  commendeth  himself  is  approved,  but  whom  the  Lord 
commendeth".  So  also,  I  have  another  righteousness  in  which 
I  glory,  namely,  the  righteousness  of  God,  and  his  mercy  and 
grace  whereby  he  pardons  all  my  sins  and  justifies  me  in  his 
sight.  In  this  righteousness  I  do  not  boast,  nor  do  I  make 
a  confession  of  it  as  if  it  were  my  own,  but  I  praise  God  for  it 
to  all  eternity.  Wherefore,  by  means  of  my  own  righteousness 
I  willingly  serve  God  and  the  people  and  resist  the  ungodly, 
and  in  the  righteousness  of  God  I  will  seek  my  salvation. 

In  a  wonderful  manner  in  the  same  verse  and  in  the  same 
words  David  gives  thanks  unto  God  and  praises  his  righteous- 
ness, and  also  describes  the  nature  of  it.  He  says  it  is  the 
free  gift  of  God,  for  which  he  is  to  be  praised  and  celebrated. 
Wherefore  "according  to  his  righteousness"  is  here  to  be  un- 
derstood as  signifying  the  same  as  'on  account  of,  or  for,  his 
righteousness'.  So  that  the  sense  is,  'I  will  praie  the  Lord 
for  ever,  because  it  is  he  that  justifieth;  which  if  he  did 
not  do,  my  righteousness  which  I  have  in  my  own  conscience 
could  never  stand'.  This  sense  is  supported  by  what  follows, 
which  is  as  it  were  a  repetition  of  these  words,  "And  will  sing 
praise  to  the  name  of  Jehovah  Most  High". 

For  the  name  of  Jehovah,  as  we  have  said,  is  his  praise 
which  is  proclaimed  abroad,  that  he  is  merciful  and  a  Saviour, 
etc. ;  and  the  man  that  believes  in  this  name  is  justified  and 


PSALM  VII. 


419 

saved,  for  God  is  such  as  he  is  beheved  to  be  by  every  man. 
But  the  damned  and  the  ungodly  ascribe  to  him  no  name 
at  all.  The  former,  because  they  cannot  hope  any  good  from 
him;  and  the  latter,  because  they  do  not  feel  the  want  of  him. 
Hence  it  is  written,  Prov.  18:10,  "The  name  of  the  Lord  is  a 
strong  tower ;  the  righteous  runneth  into  it  and  is  safe".  And 
Rom.  10:13,  "For  whosoever  shall  call  upon  the  name  of 
the  Lord  shall  be  saved". 

As  therefore  righteousness,  salvation,  and  a  joyful  con- 
science, come  from  this  name  only  by  our  firmly  believing  in 
it,  and  not  from  our  own  strength,  doings,  or  works,  the 
Psalmist  rightly  teaches  that  righteousness  is  to  be  ascribed 
only  unto  the  Lord  and  that  he  only  is  to  be  sung  to,  praised, 
proclaimed,  and  celebrated ;  in  order  that  others,  being  brought 
to  the  knowledge  of  that  name  of  this  confession  and  proclaim- 
ing, may  believe  in  it  and  be  saved.  David  saith  almost  the 
same  thing  in  Ps.  51  :i3,  "Then  will  I  teach  transgressors  thy 
way,  and  sinners  shall  be  converted  unto  thee".  Again,  Ps. 
35  :28,  'And  my  tongue  shall  talk  of  thy  righteousness".  Where- 
as the  ungodly  do  not  exalt  his  righteousness,  as  we  have  often 
said  before. 

Wherefore  this  confessing  and  singing  do  not  in  this  place 
signify  any  private  duty  of  gratitude  only,  but  also  the  public 
ministry  of  the  Word  of  grace,  whereby  the  name  of  the  Lord 
is  manifested  to  sinners. 

The  prayer  of  this  Psalm  is  very  necessary  and  very  useful 
when  prayed  against  the  devil,  either  in  the  hour  of  death  or 
in  any  time  of  deep  temptation.  For  the  devil  himself  is  proper- 
ly^ that  calumniator  who  accuses  us  and  confounds  our  con- 
science even  for  those  things  which  we  have  done  rightly  and 
which  please  God,  as  well  as  magnifies  beyond  measure  these 
wicked  things  which  we  have  done;  and  he  is  therefore  in  both 
cases  a  most  oppressive  and  unwearied  Shimei,  a  most  black, 
a  cursing,  and  an  insulting  Ethiopian,  continually  coming  upon 
us  with  such  words  as  these,  'Behold  thine  evils  are  now  come 


420  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

upon  thee.  Come  out,  come  out,  thou  bloody  man.  The  Lord 
is  now  bringing  upon  thy  head  all  the  blood  of  the  house 
of  Saul'.  And  indeed  we  may  take  all  the  rest  of  this  history 
as  having  a  figurative  meaning;  wherein  David  is  an  example 
of  us  all  and  teaches  us  that  we  ought  to  bear  these  things  and 
at  the  same  time  to  expect  the  blessing  of  God  for  all  such 
cursing  and  affliction. 


PSALM    VIII. 

TO  victory;      for  the  wine-presses;     a  psalm  of  DAVID. 

We  have  here  a  new  title;  and  what  David  means  by  the 
wine-presses  has  been  discussed  so  differently  that  I  am  ready 
to  confess  myself  in  total  ignorance  as  to  who,  among  so  many, 
comes  the  nearest  to  the  truth.  For  three  Psalms  have  this 
title  Tor  the  wine-presses' ;  the  present  Ps.  8  of  David,  the  70, 
of  Asaph,  and  the  84  for  the  sons  of  Korah.  It  is  not  likely, 
however,  that  David,  which  is  granted  by  all  the  most  eminent 
Hebrews,  composed  this  Psalm  in  the  wine-presses  of  Pales- 
tine; because  then  for  the  same  reason  it  would  follow  that 
Asaph  and  the  sons  of  Korah  composed  their  Psalms  in  the 
same  place.  Nor  do  we  read  that  David  was  ever  in  the  wine- 
presses of  Palestine,  but  in  those  of  Gath,  which  afterwards 
by  a  lengthening  of  letters  was  called  Gaza,  a  city  of  Palestine ; 
though  Gath  signifies  a  wine-press  (torcnlar)  and  has  the  same 
signification  as  the  words  al  gitith  have  here,  which  is  'On 
the  wine-presses'.  Nor  am  I  satisfied  with  the  opinions  of 
some  who  suppose  that  this  Psalm  was  composed  to  be  sung  at 
the  feast  of  tabernacles,  here  thanks  were  given  to  God  after 
the  harvesting  of  all  the  fruits  and  the  gathering  of  the  grapes. 

Therefore  as  we  are  here  going  according  to  the  literal 
meaning  I  am  inclined  to  coincide  with  the  opinion  of  Lyra, 
who  thinks  that  gitith  is  a  name  proper  to  some  musical  in- 
strument. Or  else  we  must  agree  with  the  ancient  fathers, 
who,  following  a  mystical  meaning,  understand  by  wine-presses 
(torcularia)  the  martyrdoms  and  sufferings  of  Christ  and  the 
Church.  Indeed  there  are  other  Psalms  entitled  by  some  word 
or  other  that  is  not  in  common  use,  as  we  shall  see  in  their 
spiritual  meaning.     Leaving  therefore  every  one  to  his  own 


422  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

judgment  in  this  matter,  we  rightly  affirm  that  wine-presses  do 
signify  mystically  sufferings ;  as  in  Is.  63  :2,  "I  have  trodden  the 
wine-press  alone" ;  which  all  understand  as  having  reference 
to  the  sufferings  of  Christ. 

But  Augustine  very  learnedly  and  discerningly  understands 
by  wine-press  (torcnlar)  the  ministry  of  the  Word  of  God 
in  the  church ;  consonant  with  which  are  many  scriptures,  as 
that  of  Is.  5  :2,  "And  also  hewed  out  a  wine-press  therein". 
For  as  oxen  treading  out  the  corn  in  the  barn  signify  the 
preachers  of  the  Word,  i  Cor.  9:9:  so  the  treaders  in  the 
wine-press  signify  the  same.  Hence  grapes  and  ears  of  corn, 
wine  and  wheat,  every  where  in  the  scriptures  signify  the 
people  who  are  either  instructed  or  hardened  by  the  Word  of 
God,  of  whom  we  have  not  time  to  say  more  now. 

This  meaning  exactly  agrees  with  the  scope  of  the  Psalm, 
wherein  is  described  the  name  of  the  Lord  which  is  great 
throughout  all  the  earth,  the  people  of  Christ  who  are  obedient 
to  his  government,  and  his  enemies  who  are  destroyed.  When 
it  is  said  that  he  hath  perfected  praise  and  exalted  his  own 
glory  out  of  the  mouth  of  babes  and  sucklings ;  by  that  is 
doubtlessly  signified  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  and  of  the 
Word  of  the  cross ;  by  which  all  these  things  have  ever  been 
and  still  are  accomplished.  For  certainly  the  Word  of  the 
cross,  like  a  wine-press,  bruises  and  humbles  the  men  of  the 
world  and  collects  many  into  one  body,  as  the  wine  is  collected 
into  the  receiving  vessel.  Hence,  it  was  the  design  of  the 
Prophet  to  sing  here  of  a  spiritual  wine-press.  It  is  not,  how- 
ever, foreign  to  the  scope  of  the  Psalm,  to  understand  by  wine- 
presses, sufferings ;  because  the  word  of  the  cross  crucifies  the 
old  man  and  compels  him  to  endure  many  and  various  suffer- 
ings. 

V.  I.  —  O  Jehovah,  our  Lord,  lioiv  c.vccUcnt  {admirable) 
is  thy  name  in  all  the  earth.  Who  hast  set  thy  glory  above 
the  heavens! 

This  is  one  verse  in  the  Hebrew.     One  of  these  names  is 


PSALM  VIII.  423 

the  sacred  Tetragrammaton  Jehovah,  and  the  other  the  name 
Adon,  which  is  common  and  appHcable  to  men  also.  Our 
translator  has  moreover  thought  proper  to  put  "our  Lord", 
(Dominus  noster),  in  the  nominative,  which  Jerome  has  more 
properly  rendered  by  the  vocative,  O  Lord,  our  Ruler,  {Domine, 
Dominator  noster). 

"Admirable",  in  the  Hebrew  adir,  signifies  high,  great,  ex- 
cellent, etc.  Hence  Jerome  has  rendered  it  'How  great  is  thy 
name'.  That  which  our  translator  has  rendered  "greatness", 
he  has  translated  'glory'.  But  the  Hebrew  word  hod  signi- 
fies properly  praise  and  confession..  It  is  from  this  word 
that  the  names  of  Judah  and  Judea  are  derived,  which  have 
the  signification  of  praising  or  confessing.  Hence  we  have 
it,  Gen.  49 :8,  "Judah,  thee  shall  thy  brethren  praise". 

"Who  has  set  thy  glory  above  the  heavens".  In  the  148th 
Psalm,  verse  13,  David  said,  "His  praise  or  glory,  is  above  the 
earth  and  the  heaven".  He  seems  therefore  to  say  the  same 
thing  in  both  Psalms.  In  Ps.  148:13,  he  says,  "his  name  alone 
is  excellent" :  here  he  says,  "how  excellent  is  thy  name". 
There  he  says,  "his  praise  is  above  the  earth  and  heaven" : 
here,  "his  greatness  is  above  the  heavens",  "magniiicentia  super 
coelos". 

I  here  take  it  for  granted  that  it  is  clearly  known,  from  what 
has  been  said,  that  the  name  of  God  is  not  one  but  many ;  name- 
ly, every  thing  that  can  be  said  that  is  good.  Hence  the  name 
of  God  is  that  good  report,  glory,  estimation,  and  celebration, 
whereby  he  is  proclaimed,  believed,  hoped  in,  known,  loved, 
and  feared,  that  is,  truly  worshipped  and  honored,  as  the  only 
wise  powerful,  good,  just,  true,  sweet,  etc.  Whereby  at  the 
same  time  all  the  glory  and  good  opinion  of  man  perishes ;  and 
no  one  is  any  longer  found  to  be  powerful,  wise,  and  good,  but 
all  are  found  to  be  as  the  apostle  saith  sinners,  and  to  come 
short  of  the  glory  of  God,  who  before  were  impiously  righte- 
ous and  full  of  their  own  glory ;  as  it  is  said  also,  Ps.  9 :5, 


424  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

"Thou  hast  rebuked  the  nations,  thou  hast  destroyed  the  wick- 
ed; thou  hast  blotted  out  their  name  for  ever  and  ever". 

No  one  now  who  beHeves  in  Christ  is  strong  by  his  own 
power,  but  is  weak  and  suffers  all  things.  Nor  does  he  re- 
venge or  deliver  himself  even  when  it  may  be  in  his  power ;  but 
he  gives  glory  to  God  and  waits  for  his  dehvering  and  aveng- 
ing power;  even  as  Paul,  2  Cor.  12  :5,  glories  in  his  infirmities. 
No  one  who  thus  believes  is  wise  in  his  own  wisdom,  but  be- 
comes a  fool  in  his  own  eyes  and  before  all  men,  and  gives  all 
the  glory  of  wisdom  unto  God,  who,  when  he  hath  proved 
him,  will  give  him  the  glory  of  wisdom  in  the  heavens. 

So  no  Christian  is  righteous  in  his  own  righteousness,  but 
gives  all  the  glory  of  righteousness  unto  God,  while  he  himself 
in  his  own  eyes  and  in  the  estimation  of  men  is  numbered  among 
the  ungodly;  so  that  'in  his  humiliation  his  judgment  is  taken 
away'.  Is.  53  :8,  and  he  is  justified  by  faith  and  hope,  expecting 
the  righteousness  of  God  as  that  alone  which  can  commend 
him ;  "For  not  he  that  commendeth  himself  is  approved,  but 
whom  the  Lord  commendeth",  2  Cor.  10:18. 

This  is  the  meaning  and  force  of  the  name  of  the  Lord  to 
all  the  names  and  glory  of  men;  and  shows  that  the  Lord's 
name  is  then  magnified,  exalted,  and  loved,  when  our  name  is 
reduced  to  nothing  and  hated  both  by  ourselves  and  all  others. 

The  same  is  expressed  in  Ps.  113:3,  "From  the  rising  of 
the  sun  unto  the  going  down  of  the  same,  Jehovah's  name  is 
to  be  praised".  Again  verse  4,  "Jehovah  is  high  above  all 
nations,  and  his  glory  above  the  heavens".  Mai.  i:ii,  "For 
from  the  rising  of  the  sun,  even  unto  the  going  down  of  the 
same,  my  name  shall  be  great  among  the  Gentiles".  Again, 
verse  14,  "My  name  is  terrible  among  the  Gentiles".  Is,  11  :g, 
"They  shall  not  hurt  nor  destroy  in  all  my  holy  mountain". 
Why  shall  they  not  destroy?  "For,  saith  he,  the  earth  shall  be 
full  of  the  knowledge  of  Jehovah,  as  the  waters  cover  the  sea". 
As  if  he  had  said,  the  knowledge  of  God  and  the  magnifying 
of  his  name,  which  by  means  of  the  Gospel  shall  fill  the  whole 


PSALM  VIIL  425 

world  like  an  overflowing  sea,  shall  make  men  gentle,  mild,  and 
innocent ;  because  they  shall  contend  neither  for  wisdom  nor  for 
power  nor  for  righteousness,  for  they  shall  know  that  these 
are  not  theirs,  but  the  Lord's  only.  To  the  same  end  are  the 
words  of  Isaiah  2:17-18,  "And  the  loftiness  of  man  shall  be 
bowed  down,  and  the  haughtiness  of  men  shall  be  brought  low ; 
and  Jehovah  alone  shall  be  exalted  in  that  day.  And  the  idols 
shall  utterly  pass  away". 

We  would,  however,  distinguish  the  two  words  "Lord" 
and  "our  Lord"  in  this  way.  By  the  former  is  represented  the 
most-high  Godhead  dwelling  in  himself;  and  by  the  latter,  his 
kingdom  and  care  whereby  he  holds  dominion  over  us  and  rules 
us  by  the  word  of  faith,  which  is  fulfilled  by  the  incarnation 
of  Christ,  who  is  our  propitiation,  "in  whom  dwelleth  all  the 
fulness  of  the  Godhead  bodily".  Col.  2:9;  for  it  is  by  that  we 
are  brought  nigh  unto  the  Father,  and  ruled  in  the  world. 
As  John,  14:6  says,  "No  one  cometh  unto  the  Father  but  by 
me".  Hence  it  is  not  without  reason  that  the  pronoun  "our" 
is  joined  with  "Lord"  rather  than  with  "Jehovah".  Therefore 
God  was  first  known  in  Judea,  and  his  name  was  great  in 
Israel.  But  now,  saith  David,  thy  name  is  great  in  all  the 
earth,  and  among  all  nations.  Hence  you  see  how  well  this 
verse  accords  with  the  title,  seeing  that  the  name  of  the  Lord 
being  made  great  by  the  wine-press  of  preaching  has  humbled 
some  out  of  the  nations  of  the  whole  world  into  the  one  faith 
and  grace  of  Christ. 

But  it  is  of  much  greater  moment  for  us  to  know  what 
follows.  "Who  hast  set  thy  glory  above  the  heavens".  The 
Hebrew  and  the  translation  of  Jerome  are  'who  hast  set',  not 
"is  lifted  up".  I  find  that  by  this  glory  or  greatness,  or  praise, 
almost  all  understood  Christ  the  Son  of  God,  who,  being  re- 
ceived into  heaven  and  seated  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  sent 
down  the  Holy  Spirit,  who,  by  the  apostles  magnified  the  name 
of  God  throughout  the  whole  world. 

Nor  am  I  displeased  at  the  opinion  of  those  who  say  that 
this  latter  clause  of  the  verse  gives  the  reason  or  cause  of  the 


426  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

former;  that  is,  that  the  name  of  God  is  magnified  because 
Christ  ascended  into  heaven.  For  Christ  could  not  have  been 
glorified  but  by  the  sending  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  as  it  is  written, 
Rom.  I  4,  "who  was  declared  to  be  the  Son  of  God,  with 
power,  according  to  the  Spirit  of  holiness,  by  the  resurrection 
from  the  dead".  And  John  16:14,  "He  shall  glorify  me:  for 
he  shall  take  of  mine  and  shall  declare  it  unto  you".  The 
Spirit  could  not  have  been  sent  if  Christ  had  not  risen  from 
the  dead  and  ascended  into  heaven,  unto  the  appointment  of 
king  over  all  nations ;  as  it  is  written,  John  7  :^g,  "For  the 
Spirit  was  not  yet  given ;  because  that  Jesus  was  not  yet  glori- 
fied". So  also.  Psalm  2.  Christ  said  that  he  would  declare 
the  command,  which  is  fulfilled  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  after  he 
had  said  that  he  was  appointed  king  upon  God's  holy  hill  of 
Zion. 

It  seems,  however,  to  be  against  this  acceptation,  that 
Christ  being  called  the  'praise',  or  'confession',  does  not  seem 
to  agree  well  with  that  verse  of  Ps.  148  :i3,  "His  glory  is  above 
the  earth  and  heaven";  nor  with  that  of  Ps.  113:4,  "Jehovah 
is  high  above  all  nations,  and  his  glory  above  the  heavens" ; 
because  in  those  passages  the  confession  is  not  only  said  to  be 
above  the  heavens,  but  above  the  earth ;  and  no  one  understands 
that  Christ  is  intended  by  confession  in  those  passages.  But 
these  things  ought  not  to  move  any  one,  because  Christ  is 
called  the  glory  of  God.  Is.  46:13,  "I  will  place  salvation  in 
Zion  for  Israel  my  glory". 

And  it  is  in  the  same  manner  that  the  apostle  dares  to  call 
him  the  righteousness,  the  power,  the  wisdom,  the  glory,  the 
redemption,  and  the  sanctification  of  God;  because  by  and 
through  him  we  acknowledge  and  confess  God  to  be  powerful, 
wise,  glorious,  etc.  Again,  while  we  honor  and  worship  God  by 
this  sacrifice  of  righteousness,  wisdom,  power,  etc.,  he  justifies 
us,  strengthens  us,  and  makes  us  wise ;  as  he  saith,  i  Sam.  2  :30, 
"Them  that  honor  me  I  will  honor,  and  they  that  despise  me 
shall  be  lightly  esteemed.     "For  this  is  the  sacrifice  of  praise, 


PSALM  VIII.  427 

by  which,  as  he  saith,  Ps.  50:23,  he  is  honored,  and  which 
is  the  way  to  the  salvation  of  God.  No  one  offers  this  sacri- 
fice but  he  who  has  experienced  the  destruction  of  his  own 
name,  and'  calls  upon  the  name  of  God  in  faith ;  that  is,  upon 
the  wisdom,  power,  and  righteousness  of  God,  as  I  said,  per- 
mitting himself  in  the  meantime  to  be  weak,  a  fool,  and  unright- 
eous. So  that  we  are  glorified  with  the  same  glory  as  God  is 
glorified,  made  righteous  with  the  same  righteousness,  and 
wise  by  the  same  wisdom  as  God.  And  2  Peter  i  14,  says,  by 
Christ  are  given  unto  us  exceedingly  great  and  precious  prom- 
ises, that  by  these  we  might  be  partakers  of  the  divine  nature ; 
which  are  things,  as  he  saith,  i  Pet.  i  :i2,  that  angels  desire 
to  look  into. 

Hence  by  this  "confession"  or  glory  lifted  up  into  heaven 
we  understand  Christ.  But  we  also  learn  the  benefits  which 
we  derive  from  his  being  thus  lifted  up,  or  having  thus  ascend- 
ed. "It  is  expedient  for  you,  saith  Christ,  John  16 :/,  that  I 
go  away,  for  if  I  go  not  away,  the  Comforter  will  not  come 
unto  you ;  but  if  I  go,  I  will  send  him  unto  you".  For  the 
prophet  wishes  to  say,  that  the  praise  wherewith  God  is  praised 
in  us  and  we  in  him  is  far  different  from  all  the  praise  of  men. 
Our  praise,  as  it  is  the  praise  of  God,  or  from  God,  is  not 
openly  visible,  or  open  to  the  eyes  of  the  world,  nor  apparent 
unto  men,  nor  even  unto  ourselves.  Nay,  as  our  life  is  hid 
with  Christ  in  God,  Col.  3  :3,  that  we  may  be  wise  unto  the 
things  that  are  above,  so  our  praise  is  taken  up  into  heaven 
with  him,  and  hid  with  him  in  God,  that  our  hope  may  be  in 
that,  and  not  in  any  thing  present. 

Hence  the  praise  of  God  wherewith  both  he  and  we  are 
praised  is  the  same,  and  it  is  the  same  glory  and  greatness ;  as 
is  written  in  Ps.  106  47,  'To  triumph  in  thy  praise'.  Again, 
Ps.  20:7,  "But  we  will  make  mention  of  the  name  of  Jehovah 
our  God".  Also,  Ps.  34  :2,  "My  soul  shall  make  her  boast  in 
Jehovah",  Because  while  we  are  stripped  of  all  our  own  name, 
and  suffering  under  ignominy,  we  are  those  truly  humble  ones 


428  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

whom  God  regards,  and  those  hungry  souls  whom  God  satisfies. 
It  was  right  that  the  prophet  should  use  this  summary  term 
'praise'  or  'glory'  or  'greatness',  because  he  spoke  at  a  time 
when  the  truth  was  not  yet  revealed.  But  what  this  praise 
was  and  what  it  contained,  was  left  for  the  apostles  to  show 
forth  clearly.  These  taught  that  he  who  would  be  praised 
rightly  and  truly  should  praise  God  above  all  things ;  and  that 
he  praises  God  above  all  things  who  ascribes  unto  God  alone 
righteousness,  wisdom,  power,  and  all  good  things,  and  gives 
back  the  glory  of  them  all  to  him  when  he  receives  them.  This 
no  one  does  but  he  who  lives  in  faith,  hope,  and  love,  being 
oppressed  in  the  world  with  weakness,  foolishness,  and  sins, 
both  in  his  own  eyes  and  in  the  sight  of  men;  and  none  can 
endure  this  easily  but  those  who  are  partakers  of  faith  and 
hope. 

The  sum  therefore  of  the  verse  is,  that  there  is  a  certain 
intercourse  between  God  and  men  through  Christ,  formed  by  a 
wonderful  and  all-sweet  communion  {commcrcie) .  Men  have 
nothing  in  the  world  more  sweet  than  the  name  of  the  Lord; 
him  they  praise,  proclaim,  and  confess  before  men,  as  alone 
powerful,  wise,  holy,  and  righteous.  And  this  is  for  the  name 
of  the  Lord  to  be  great,  admirable,  celebrated,  and  of  great 
estimation  in  the  world;  and  this  is  what  was  wrought  by  the 
coming  of  Christ.  On  the  other  hand  Christ  himself  stands 
round  about  those  who  thus  proclaim  him,  confess  him  before 
men,  and  acknowledge  his  name ;  and  passing  by  he  administers 
to  them,  praises  them,  proclaims  them,  and  confesses  them  be- 
fore his  Father  and  his  angels  in  heaven ;  he  acknowledges  their 
name,  and  is  himself  their  glory  and  praise  in  heaven,  as  they 
are  his  glory  and  praise  on  earth. 

This  is  what  David  means  when  he  says,  "Hast  set  thy 
glory  above  the  heavens".  So  that  this  glory  is  the  glory  of  God 
whereby  we  are  praised  and  glorious  before  him,  and  whereby 
his  name  is  excellent  in  being  praised  and  glorified  by  us  before 
men. 


PSALM  VIII.  429 

In  this  mutual  interchange  of  names  and  praise  many  pass- 
ages of  the  scriptures  agree,  and  are  by  it  made  plain  to  our 
understanding.  It  is  to  this  that  Ps.  72:14  refers,  "And 
precious  will  their  blood  be  in  his  sight".  Again,  Ps.  91  :i4, 
"I  will  set  him  on  high  because  he  hath  known  my  name". 
So  the  spouse  in  Song  2  :i6,  "My  beloved  is  mine  and  I  am  his". 
Ps.  Ill  :3,  "His  work  is  honor  and  majesty".  Again,  "The 
earth  was  full  of  his  praise",  Hab.  3  13,  "The  heavens  and  the 
earth  are  full  of  his  glory".  For  in  this  communication  stands 
that  righteousness  of  God  by  which  we  are  justified ;  while  we 
proclaim  and  honor  him  in  that  which  we  ought,  he  on  the 
other  hand  honors  us. 

But  as  I  said,  as  it  is  easy  to  utter  and  to  understand  this 
communication  of  praise  between  God  .and  us,  it  is  difficult  to 
come  to  the  experience  of  it.  For  it  is  a  difficult  matter  to  be 
stripped  of  all  our  name  both  in  this  world  and  in  that  which  is 
to  come,  and  to  become  nothing  both  in  our  own  eyes  and  be- 
fore all  men ;  and  yet  if  it  be  not  so,  the  name  of  God  cannot 
be  great  unto  us  upon  earth,  nor  his  praise  above  the  heavens ; 
for  the  name  of  the  Lord  must  first  of  all  be  magnified  upon 
the  earth  before  his  praise  can  be  lifted  up  above  the  heavens. 
Hence  the  Blessed  Virgin  saith,  "My  soul  doth  magnify  the 
Lord",  Luke  i  46 ;  and  then,  being  certain  that  she  was  mag- 
nified in  heaven  because  of  this  her  magnifying  the  Lord,  she 
says,  "And  my  spirit  hath  rejoiced  in  God  my  Saviour".  For 
it  is  impossible  that  he  should  not  be  blessed  of  God  who  bless- 
eth  God.  Nor  is  it  possible  that  any  one  should  love,  praise, 
and  delight  in  God,  without  God's  loving,  praising,  and  de- 
lighting in  him  in  return. 

But  here  perhaps  the  simple  soul  will  raise  a  scruple,  who 
has  so  often  heard,  that  our  love  to  God  does  not  precede  his 
love  to  us ;  as  it  is  written,  John  4  :io,  "Not  that  we  loved  God, 
but  that  he  loved  us".  And  Rom.  11  135,  "Who  hatE  first  given 
to  him  and  it  shall  be  recompensed  unto  him  again"?  Again, 
John  15  :i6,  "Ye  have  not  chosen  me,  but  I  have  chosen  you". 


430  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

Also,  John  6:44,  "No  man  can  come  unto  me  except  the  Father 
which  hath  sent  me  draw  him". 

How  then,  it  will  be  asked,  can  we  first  magnify  him  that 
he  may  magnify  us  ?  The  answer  is,  The  Holy  Scripture  des- 
cribes both  of  these,  both  the  grace  of  God,  and  the  fruits  of 
that  grace.  Therefore  a  great  deal  of  care  must  be  taken  that 
we  do  not  understand  that  of  the  tree  itself  which  is  said  of  the 
fruits ;  for  if  this  chaos  be  introduced,  that  error  of  the  Pela- 
gians concerning  free-will  will  follow ;  which  ascribes  unto 
man  the  beginning  of  a  good  work.  Whereas  God  alone  makes 
the  tree  good  before  us,  and  without  us,  which  must  of  necessity 
precede  the  fruits ;  but  it  must  equally  of  necessity  follow  that 
the  fruits  must  precede  the  reward. 

Wherefore  this  part  of  the  Psalm,  and  all  other  passages 
like  it,  do  not  refer  to  initial  grace,  but  to  the  final  grace,  that 
is,  the  reward  itself,  which  is  given  to  the  first  grace  and  its 
fruits ;  therefore  we  are  not  to  understand  by  these  passages 
any  kind  of  exhortation  to  a  perseverance  in  good  works  from 
this  promise  of  the  mutually  rewarding  goodness  of  God.  Thus 
him  who,  being  converted,  praises  God,  that  is,  lives  from  re- 
ceived grace  to  the  glory  of  God  on  earth,  God  praises  in  re- 
turn, at  the  same  time,  and  for  ever  in  heaven :  at  the  same 
time,  I  say,  and  for  ever;  that  is,  at  the  present  time  and  for 
ever.  For  he  that  glorifies  God  in  his  life  cannot  but  feel  a 
joyful  and  quiet  trust  in  the  mercy  of  God,  by  which  he  knows 
that  he  in  return  pleases  God  and  is  praised  in  heaven.  There- 
fore, our  praise  of  the  name  of  the  Lord  in  the  earth  is  almost 
heavenly,  though  before  men  we  are  continually  vexed  with 
ignominy.  Then  if  the  praising  ones  persevere,  their  praise  in 
God  will  endure  for  ever.  Thus  we  must  understand  Zechariah 
I  :3,  "Return  unto  me,  and  I  will  return  unto  you",  and  similar 
passages. 

But  according  to  the  opinion  of  those  who  understand  that 
the  latter  part  of  this  verse  is,  as  it  were,  the  cause  of  the 
former,  among  whom  is  our  translator  also,  we  must  say,  that 


PSALM  VIII.  431 

the  praise  of  God  above  the  heavens  is  prior  to  the  greatness 
of  the  name  of  the  Lord  upon  earth ;  and  that  Christ  effected 
the  latter  by  his  ascending  above  the  heavens,  and  by  sending 
down  the  Holy  Spirit  to  magnify  the  name  of  the  Lord  upon 
the  earth,  as  we  have  said.  Therefore  John  7  139  saith,  "For 
the  Spirit  was  not  yet  given ;  because  that  Jesus  was  not  yet 
glorified".  Hence  by  the  'praise'  of  God  here  nothing  can  be 
understood  but  the  personal  exaltation  of  Christ  into  heaven. 

It  would  not  require  much  trouble  to  defend  both  these 
interpretations  of  the  passage,  for  they  are  not  very  different 
from  each  other;  because  it  is  manifest  that  by  the  exaltation 
of  Christ  it  comes  to  pass,  that,  having  received  the  Holy 
Spirit,  we  believe  in  God,  and  that  we  are  well-pleasing  and 
commended  in  heaven ;  and  that  it  is  by  the  same  spirit  that  we 
are  emboldened  to  magnify  the  name  of  the  Lord  upon  the 
earth.  By  all  this  is  signified,  that  Christ's  being  exalted  would 
have  been  of  no  service  to  us,  unless  he  had  been  exalted  for  us; 
that  is,  unless,  when  he  ascended  up  on  high,  he  had  given 
gifts  unto  us  men,  whereby  we  might  magnify  him  upon  earth. 
But  all  these  things  I  here  leave  to  each  one's  own  judgment. 

V.  2.  —  Out  of  the  mouth  of  babes  and  sucklings  hast  thou 
established  strength   (perfected  praise),  because  of  thine  ad 
versaries,  that  thou  mightcst  still  the  enemy  and  avenger. 

This  verse  appropriately  follows  the  one  where  we  said  that 
by  the  'glory  lifted  up'  we  ought  to  understand  the  ascension 
of  Christ ;  though  it  does  not  inappropriately  agree  with  the 
other  sense  also ;  wherefore  we  will  show  that  it  harmonizes 
with  both  in  this  way.  Thy  name,  O  Lord,  is  magnified,  but 
in  a  far  different  way  from  that  in  which  it  is  magnified  among 
men.  For  the  manner  of  men  is,  if  it  may  be  called  a  manner, 
not  to  be  praised  by  the  humble  and  the  contemptible,  but  by 
the  very  wise.  They  wish  to  please  the  few,  as  they  term  it, 
and  to  be  looked  upon  by  the  great,  the  wise,  and  the  powerful. 
Again,  those  praisers,  as  they  are  the  vainest  of  men,  never 
praise  any  but  with  a  view  to  their  own  profit,  that  they  also 
might  be  praised  or  might  reap  some  advantage.    Thus,  mules 


432  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

rub  each  other;  and  in  the  same  manner  neither  those  who 
praise  are  sincere,  nor  are  those  upright  who  are  praised.  This, 
I  say,  is  the  way  with  all  those  who  are  influenced  and  led  by 
the  appearance  of  things  present. 

But  thou,  O  Son  of  God,  David  would  say,  as  all  thy  things 
are  hidden  and  only  to  be  understood  by  faith,  thou  dost  not 
find  any  among  these  great  ones  who  will  praise  thee;  nay 
rather,  they  are  the  very  persons  who  most  pertinaciously  ic- 
sist  thy  praise  and  glory  from  a  maddened  love  of  their  own 
glory.  Wherefore  thou  hast  chosen  the  despised  and  the 
humble  to  set  forth  thy  praise  and  to  magnify  thy  name,  who 
hate  their  own  name  upon  the  earth,  being  content  that  thou 
shouldst  be  their  praise  in  heaven.  That  thou  mightest  mani- 
fest this,  after  thou  hadst  assumed  thy  glory,  thou  didst  send 
thy  Holy  Spirit  from  heaven,  being  thyself  the  apostle  of  all 
apostles,  and  didst  instruct  the  ignorant  and  simple,  and  from 
their  mouth  didst  perfect  thy  praise. 

But  the  authority  of  Christ  has  given  rise  to  a  great 
question  in  this  passage.  In  Matt.  21  :i6,  He  applies  it  to  the 
children  that  praised  him  in  the  temple,  saying  unto  the  chief- 
priests  and  the  scribes  who  wanted  to  hinder  them,  "Did  ye 
never  read,  out  of  the  mouth  of  babes  and  sucklings  thou  hast 
perfected  praise"?  Now  if  this  Psalm  be  understood  as  ap- 
plying literally  to  these  children,  as  some  will  have  it,  then 
neither  that  which  precedes  nor  that  which  follows  will  har- 
monize with  it;  for  he  is  speaking  of  the  name  of  the  Lord 
magnified  throughout  the  whole  world,  which  took  place  after 
the  passion.  Again  if  we  stick  so  closely  to  the  literal  mean- 
ing, these  children  were  not  "infants"  nor  "sucklings",  for 
they  blessed  Christ  and  sang  praises  to  Him  in  plainly  articu- 
lated words,  crying  "Hosanna  in  the  highest".  Matt.  21  '.g. 

But  again,  we  ought  not  in  any  way  to  dissent  from  Christ 
who  applied  this  verse  to  them,  for  this  authority  is  to  be  pre- 
ferred to  that  of  the  Psalm.  It  follows  therefore  that  the 
words  of  this  Psalm  are  general  and  applicable  to  all  who  are 


PSALM  VIII.  433 

simple  and  upright  in  heart,  who  are  not  wise  above  others,  nor 
prudent  in  the  things  of  the  world,  that  is,  who  are  the  children 
of  light ;  the  generation  of  whom  are  not  confined  to  any 
particular  age,  but  are  found  in  every  generation  and  in  every 
age  of  man ;  and  the  words  are  peculiarly  applicable  to  children, 
not  only  because  they  are  thus  simple  and  sincere,  but  also 
because,  by  this  simplicity  and  innocence,  they  figure  out  to 
us  corporally  the  simplicity  of  the  faith  of  Christ ;  according 
to  I  Pet.  2  :2,  "As  new-born  babes  desire  the  sincere  milk  of 
the  Word".  For  children  do  not  affect  delight  and  overcome 
us  by  their  wisdom,  power,  or  greatness,  but  by  their  im- 
potence, ignorance,  and  littleness.  So,  the  praisers  of  Christ 
conquered  the  world  and  magnified  the  name  of  the  Lord  in 
all  the  earth,  not  by  human  strength,  not  by  the  words  of 
human  wisdom,  not  by  the  magnitude  of  giants,  but  by  the 
foolishness  of  the  Word  and  by  the  offence  of  the  cross. 

This  verse  therefore  sings  of  the  wonders  of  divine  power, 
which  could  magnify  its  name  throughout  the  world  in  so 
miraculous  and  unthought  of  manner.  This  was  done,  first 
in  the  midst  of  those  who  most  madly  magnified  their  own 
name,  and  moreover  most  pertinaciously  resisted  the  name 
of  the  Lord.  It  would  have  been  a  great  thing  for  God  only 
to  have  destroyed  the  name  of  all  the  kings,  the  wise  ones,  and 
the  righteous  ones  upon  earth,  and  to  have  reduced  them  to 
nothing,  and  have  erected  his  own  name  in  their  stead.  But 
in  the  second  place,  he  whose  name  was  thus  magnified  never 
appeared  anywhere,  but  was  made  known  by  the  Word  only. 
Whereas,  the  great  ones  of  the  earth  could  be  present  them- 
selves and  could  openly  show  their  possessions  and  the  things 
v.'hereby  they  raised  to  themselves  a  name.  In  the  third  place, 
which  was  perhaps  the  greatest  of  all,  this  invisible  Christ 
was  magnified  in  the  fall  of  all  visible  pomp;  and  that,  not 
by  giants,  by  men  of  fame,  of  learning,  of  wealth,  or  of  nobility, 
but  by  fishermen,  by  fools,  infants  and  without  any  appear- 
ance of  power  or  wisdom  :    whereas,  their  adversaries  were  sur- 


434  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

rounded  by  multitudes  and  attended  by  the  voices  of  the  most 
wise,  most  eloquent,  and  most  powerful. 

Hence  it  is  said,  "Out  of  the  mouth  of  babes  and  sucklings 
hast  thou  established  strength,"  that  the  expression  may  convey 
the  greater  wonder.  But  some  being  offended  at  the  word 
"strength",  have  rendered  it  'praise',  considering  the  former 
an  absurdity,  perhaps,  as  not  properly  agreeing  with  the  words 
"Out  of  the  mouth,"  and  therefore  they  used  the  word  'praise' 
as  more  agreeable  to  the  general  ideas  and  apprehensions  of 
readers.  Although  by  "strength"  here  may  rightly  be  un- 
derstood the  strength  preached,  by  a  figure  of  speech,  and  by 
a  Hebrew  idiom,  yet,  in  my  judgment,  we  should  rather  un- 
derstand that  which  is  strong,  powerful,  and  mighty,  and  which 
all  the  adversaries  are  not  able  to  resist ;  as  it  is  said  also,  Ps. 
141  :6,  "They  shall  hear  my  words,  for  they  are  able ;"  that  is, 
for  they  are  made  firm  and  mighty. 

So  that  we  are  here  to  understand  also  at  the  same  time 
that  Christ  has  wrought  all  things  in  the  world  by  the  mouths 
alone  of  those  who  preach  the  Gospel,  and  has  by  their  weak- 
ness subverted  all  strength  and  power,  by  their  foolishness  all 
wisdom,  and  by  their  offence  all  religions.  For  the  weakness 
of  God  is  stronger  than  men,  and  the  foolishness  of  God  is 
wiser  than  men.  In  this  manner  also  Luke  frequently  men- 
tions, in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  that  the  Word  of  God  in- 
creased greatly  and  was  mighty ;  thereby  proving  and  exempli- 
fying the  substance  of  this  verse. 

And  here  also  the  rulers  of  the  church  of  Christ  are  to 
be  called  together,  that  being  instructed  by  these  words  they 
might  learn  their  duty.  For  the  power  and  strength  of  Christ 
and  the  church  are  not  procured  from  the  world ;  the  church 
does  not  call  for  the  aid  of  the  secular  arm,  it  does  not  threaten 
fire  and  sword,  it  does  not  trust  in  the  arms  of  kings  and 
princes,  but  its  strength  is  perfected  out  of  the  mouth  of  babes 
and  sucklings.  David  therefore,  without  doubt,  here  teaches 
that  he  who  studies  to  magnify  the  name  of  God  otherwise  upon 


PSALM  VIII.  435 

the  earth  than  by  the  mouth  of  babes  and  sucklings,  rather 
blasphemes,  and  is  proved  to  magnify  his  own  name  rather  than 
the  name  of  the  Lord.  And  such  are  all  those  who  madly 
imagine  that  the  Turks,  infidels,  and  heretics  at  the  present 
day  are  to  be  attacked,  not  by  the  Word  of  God,  of  which 
they  know  nothing,  but  by  war  and  worldly  tumult,  or  by  the 
clamors  of  abuse  and  revilings ;  that  is,  they  presume  to  con- 
quer by  those  very  things  which  are  themselves  conquered  by 
the  mouth  of  babes  and  sucklings ;  and  thus  they  turn  the  mild 
and  gentle  mouth  of  sucklings  into  the  bloody  mouths  of  giants, 
that  is,  they  turn  the  sweet  Word  of  God  into  the  tyrannies  of 
their  own  traditions.  If  therefore  any  one  sees  this  evil  and  is 
willing  to  leave  it,  let  him  at  length  learn  what  he  ought  to  do 
and  how  to  act,  that  he  may  rule  the  people  rightly. 

First  then  "Out  of  the  mouth,"  saith  David.  A  most  im- 
portant admonition,  but  a  most  faithful  one  unto  those  who  are 
employed  in  the  ministry  of  the  Word  in  the  church.  For  the 
Word  is  rightly  handled  when  the  mouth  is  distinguished  from 
the  Word,  and  when  it  is  known  that  the  Word  is  not  his  who 
preaches,  nay,  that  it  is  not  he  who  preaches  at  all,  but  Christ 
who  speaks  in  him.  Hence  Paul,  2  Cor.  13  13,  'Seeing  that 
ye  seek  a  proof  of  Christ  that  speaketh  in  me.'  He  might  have 
here  said,  Babes  have  perfected  praise ;  but  rash  fable-followers 
are  to  be  blamed,  who,  without  paying  any  regard  to  the  Holy 
Spirit,  pour  out  upon  the  people  whatever  comes  into  their 
mind,  or  rather  into  their  mouth. 

Nay,  further,  some  search  and  strive  that  they  may  not 
preach  solid  things;  that  is,  that  Christ  may  not  preach  his 
own  Word,  but  that  they  may  teach  theirs.  Hence  it  follows 
that  they  not  only  do  not  destroy  the  enemy  and  avenger,  but 
even  strengthen  his  hands  and  make  him  a  mocker.  Of  this 
same  sort  are  those  also,  who,  being  confident  of  the  greatness 
and  importance  of  the  doctrine  that  they  have  conceived  in 
their  own  brain,  dream  that  their  peril  is  great  if  they  do  not 
teach  it  to  others  also,  imagining  to  themselves    that  they  have 


436  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

a  talent  committed  to  them  and  that  they  are  burying  it  in  the 
earth,  and  must  therefore  expect  the  severe  sentence  of  their 
Lord.  With  such  ridiculous  baubles  does  the  devil  laugh  at 
their  phantoms ! 

Such  therefore  being  instructed  by  this  verse,  ought  to 
know  that  it  is  not  we  who  teach  nor  our  word  which  is  taught ; 
and  that  it  is  only  our  mouth  that  is  made  to  observe  in  his 
Word  when  he  pleases  to  call  us  to  that  office.  "TJioii,  says 
David,  hast  established  praise,"  not  they  nor  zve.  So  in  the 
Gospel,  also,  a  certain  lord  did  indeed  give  talents,  but  is  was 
to  those  who  were  "called".  Do  thou  therefore  wait  also  till 
thou  art  called ;  and  in  the  meantime  neither  teach  after  this 
office  of  teaching  nor  plunge  thyself  into  it,  for  thy  knowledge 
will  not  burst  thee,  though  thou  keep  it  in  long.  'They  ran 
saith  the  Lord  by  the  prophet  Jeremiah,  23  :2r,  but  I  never 
sent  them :  I  have  not  spoken  unto  them,  yet  they  prophesied.' 
This  temptation  miserably  vexes  many,  so  that  they  are  con- 
tinually weary  of,  and  sorry  for  that  which  they  have  under- 
taken. The  devil  does  these  things  that  he  may  distress  the 
minds  of  those  who  have  begun  well,  and  at  length  wears 
them  out  by  making  them  weary  of  the  work.  Therefore  let 
him  who  is  called,  offer  his  mouth  unto  God,  that  he  may 
receive  the  Word,  and  may  be  an  instrument  only  and  not  the 
author.  And  let  him  who  is  not  called,  pray  the  Lord  of  the 
harvest  that  he  would  send  forth  laborers,  and  perfect  his 
strength  out  of  the  mouth  of  sucklings. 

Secondly,  we  have  the  words  "babes  and  sucklings."  Here 
the  minister  of  the  Word  is  taught  that  he  should  be  a  babe 
among  babes,  and,  according  to  the  v^-ords  of  Paul,  i  Cor.  9  122, 
should  become  all  things  to  all  men  that  he  might  by  all  means 
save  some;  and  above  all  things  take  care  tliat  he  never  despise 
nor  disdain  any  one.  In  the  same  manner  as  infants,  from  their 
simplicity,  are  utterly  unacquainted  with  any  distinction  or  re- 
spect of  persons,  but  are  equal  and  the  same  to  all. 

P'or  what  is  more  danp:crous  in  a  minister  of  the  Word  of 


PSALM  VIII.  437 

God,  than  to  be  one  thing  to  the  great  and  the  rich,  and  another 
to  the  weak  and  poor  ?  Whereas  they  are  sent  to  this  ministry 
to  serve  all  men,  to  flatter  none,  and  to  hate  none.  You  will 
scarcely  find  in  the  holy  scriptures  any  one  thing  against  which 
the  Spirit  so  much  contends,  as  against  an  unjust  respect  of 
persons;  for  it  is  difficult  to  despise  the  external  persons  and 
appearances  of  men,  and  yet  to  love  and  seek  the  good  of  the 
men  themselves  as  they  are  in  the  sight  of  the  invisible  God. 

They  are  moreover  taught  that  they  should  be  gentle  and 
not  railers,  nor,  as  it  is  written,  Titus  i  17,  self-willed,  nor 
soon  angry,  nor  strikers ;  for  such  are  not  babes  and  sucklings. 

Moreover  in  this  scripture  is  condemned  all  the  proud  os- 
tentation of  those  who  deal  in  great  and  wonderful  things  which 
are  above  them,  teaching  lofty  and  difficult  things  which  do 
not  at  all  tend  to  the  main  object,  which  the  people  do  not  at  all 
understand,  and  from  which,  if  they  did  understand  them,  they 
could  reap  no  solid  advantage.  In  a  word,  the  passage  con- 
demns all  doctrine  conceived  and  delivered  by  men,  with  what- 
ever adulteration  of  human  and  carnal  knowledge  they  may  be 
infected,  while  it  is  contrary  to  the  doctrine  that  is  divinely 
inspired. 

In  the  third  place,  we  have  'thou  hast  established  or  per- 
fected.' For  it  is  not  enough  to  teach  the  Word  of  God,  if  it 
be  not  rightly  taught.  Thus  Paul  instructed  Timothy  that  he 
should  handle  the  Word  "lawfully."  For  there  are  many 
wrongly-anxious  and  vain  preachers,  who  rage  and  make  a 
great  ado,  not  knowing  all  the  while  that  it  is  one  thing  to  plant 
and  another  thing  to  give  the  increase :  and  these  want  all 
things  to  he  done  as  soon  as  they  have  spoken  the  words,  not 
so  much  desiring  to  be  heard,  because  they  speak  forth  the 
Word  of  God,  as  because  they  are  the  teachers  of  the  Word; 
thus  striving  that  the  instrument  should  be  commended  rather 
than  the  Word  sounded  forth. 

This  is  the  case  with  those  who  promise  to  themselves  that 
they  shall  touch,  work  upon,  and  immediately  convert,  now 


438  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

these  persons  and  now  those,  by  words  that  they  have  previous- 
ly conceived  and  meditated.  Whereas  by  the  wonderful  man- 
agement of  God,  it  comes  to  pass  that  they  are  the  farthest 
possible  from  accomplishing  that  which  they  have  framed  out 
in  their  thoughts.  For  the  soul  naturally  feels  that  all  such 
are  the  words  of  the  man  himself,  composed  by  himself,  and 
covered  with  human  filth  as  Ezekiel  saith,  4:1,  that  is  polluted 
v/ith  human  affections ;  and  therefore  the  soul  nauseates  such  a 
word,  and  is  rather  stirred  up  to  wrath  against  it  than  con- 
verted by  it. 

The  soul  is  the  rather  moved  when  it  hears  nothing  of  the 
attempt  of  the  speaker  but  the  free  Word  of  God  only.  For  the 
Word  being  free  and  pure  will  have  itself  spoken  forth  in  pub- 
lic, and  will  touch  those  of  whom  the  preacher  himself  knows 
nothing.     Of  this  we  have  many  examples  upon  record. 

Therefore  let  it  be  ours  only  to  offer  up  our  mouth  to  the 
Word,  and  let  it  be  God's  to  accomplish  the  work  and  to  give 
the  increase.  Hence  Christ,  Matt.  21  :2  etc.,  told  his  disciples, 
w^hen  he  sent  them,  that  they  should  find  an  ass  and  a  foal ; 
which  they  saw  not  and  of  which  they  knew  nothing,  and  yet 
they  went  and  fetched  the  ass  and  the  foal,  though  they  were  in 
this  ignorance  about  them. 

Wherefore,  laying  aside  this  foolish  confidence,  as  if  we 
could  do  anything  towards  co-operating  with  the  Word  in  the 
hearer,  let  us  rather  give  ourselves  to  continual  prayer  that 
God  would  himself  without  us  accomplish  in  the  hearer  what 
he  speaks  by  the  preacher ;  for  it  is  he  that  speaks  and  he  that 
hears  and  works  all  in  all :  we  are  only  his  instruments  and 
able  neither  to  give  nor  to  receive  any  thing,  unless  he  him- 
self give  and  receive.  Hence  Ps.  68:18,  with  a  word  watchful 
over  the  honor  of  God,  saith,  "Thou  hast  ascended  on  high, 
thou  hast  received  gifts  among  men."  But  the  apostle,  Eph. 
4 :8,  saith,  "Gave  gifts  unto  men." 

Fourthly,  now  if  the  ministers  of  the  Word  were  like  these 
it  would  without  doubt  be  effectual  and  powerful  and  would 


PSALM  VIII.  439 

not  be  spoken  forth  in  vain;  as  it  is  said,  Is.  55  :ii,  'The  word 
that  goeth  forth  out  of  my  mouth  shall  not  return  unto  me 
void,  but  it  shall  accomplish  that  which  I  please.'  Observe  the 
words,  "That  which  I  please,'  not  that  which  the  minister 
pleases.  And,  'it  shall  prosper  in  the  thing  whereto  I  send  it,' 
not  in  them  to  whom  the  minister  in  his  rash  fancies  shall 
send  it. 

Hence  there  is  a  most  perilous  thing  both  ways,  either  to 
teach  the  word  of  man  under  the  name  of  the  Word  of  God, 
or  to  hurl  the  pure  Word  of  God,  just  according  to  our  own 
whims  and  feelings ;  each  of  which  monstrous  perversions  has 
held  the  church  at  this  day  under  the  most  oppressive  tyranny. 

For  this  reason  therefore  let  every  one  that  is  set  over  the 
people  of  Christ  in  the  ministry  of  the  Word  be  humble  and 
fear,  and  let  him  study,  by  purity  of  prayer,  more  than  by  in- 
dustrious strength,  to  deliver  the  Word  free,  pure,  and  simple, 
just  as  it  is,  committing  unto  God  both  his  own  tongue  and  the 
souls  of  the  hearers.  For  it  is  a  decreed  truth,  that  there  is  no 
master  in  the  church  of  God  but  he  who  says,  Matt.  23  :io,  ''One 
is  your  master,  even  the  Christ."  And  Ps.  60 :6,  "God  hath 
spoken  in  his  holiness,"  or  saint,  that  is,  in  his  sanctuary,  which 
is  the  church.  But  where  men  or  Satan  speak,  there  without 
doubt  is  a  brothel  and  synagogue  of  Satan ;  for  such  as  the 
W^ord  is,  such  are  the  people,  such  is  their  God,  such  their  wor- 
ship, such  their  faith,  such  their  conscience,  such  their  works, 
and  such  all  that  belongs  to  them.  Therefore  all  things  are 
wrought  in  men  by  the  Word  only. 

Hence  I  fear  that  infinite  number  of  books,  both  of  rites  and 
of  theolog}',  which  prevail  at  this  day  in  the  church  over  and 
above  the  Gospel,  are  those  bowls  of  the  wrath  of  God  men- 
tioned in  Rev.  15:7  etc.  which,  being  poured  upon  the  earth, 
the  sea,  the  rivers,  the  sun,  the  air,  etc.,  are  described  as  bring- 
ing many  dreadful  plagues  on  men.  For  what  wrath  or  what 
plague  from  God  can  be  more  dreadful,  than  that  Christ  should 
not  be  taught  among  Christians,  nor  his  faith  known,  but  that 


440  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

the  souls  of  men  should  be  employed  in  and  oppressed  with 
Decrees,  Decretals,  Sextaries,  Clementines,  Extravagaries,  Mo- 
rals, Summaries,  and  the  like. 

Now,  as  we  have  said  that  no  one  ought  to  teach  in  the 
church  but  he  who  is  called  of  God,  lest  any  one  should  be  at 
a  loss  to  know  what  this  call  of  God  is,  let  him  observe  this, 
whether  or  not  the  person  be  called  to  the  ministry  of  the  Word 
by  the  authority  of  his  elders,  either  ecclesiastical  or  secular, 
without,  nay  contrary  to,  his  own  will  and  inclination.  For 
there  is  no  power  but  that  which  is  ordained  of  God,  Rom.  13:1. 
Therefore  whatever  both  powers  command  is  without  doubt 
the  command  of  God.  Moreover  we  do  not  read  in  the  Old 
Testament  of  any  undertaking  that  prospered,  unless  God  was 
first  consulted  and  an  answer  obtained  either  by  means  of  some 
angel  or  some  man.  For  how  unsuccessfully  did  the  children 
of  Israel  fight  when  they  fought  without  the  command  of  God ! 
as  vv^e  read  in  Numbers  14:40  etc. ;  and  we  see  the  same  in  the 
Maccabees.  If  God  want  thee,  he  will  undoubtedly  seek  thee 
out  and  will  rather  send  an  angel  down  from  heaven  to  fetch 
thee  to  him. 

This  I  believe  is  the  reason  why  the  popes,  priests,  and  re- 
ligious ones  do  not  teach  the  Word  of  God  in  the  church,  be- 
cause there  is  no  longer  any  one  of  them  who  waits  for  the 
call  of  God,  but  they  all  seek  after  dignities,  prebendaries,  and 
the  ease  and  gratification  of  their  bellies.  So  that  despair  and 
a  certain  slothfulness  of  spirit  do  not  now  make  men  monks 
only,  but  the  same  things  move  our  popes  and  priests  also  to 
their  offices. 

Thou  wilt  not  better  understand  this  call  of  God,  therefore, 
than  by  observing  the  scripture  histories  and  the  histories  of 
all  the  saints  of  the  church.  For  all  those  who  were  called  of 
God  always  wrought  some  great  works ;  as  Augustine  and  Am- 
brose, and  before  them  Paul  the  apostle,  etc.  And,  that  I  may 
not  raise  any  scruple  or  doubt  in  any  one's  mind,  I  am  speak- 
ing of  those  who  have  come  and  still  come  forward  to  teach  the 


PSALM  VIII.  44i 

Word  of  God.  It  behooves  these,  I  say,  to  take  the  greatest 
heed  that  they  go  forth  with  the  commission  of  God ;  as  Paul 
saith,  Rom.  10:15,  "How  shall  they  preach  except  they  be 
sent?"  as  it  is  written,  "How  beautiful  are  the  feet  of  them  that 
preach  the  Gospel  of  peace."  Again,  Mai.  2  7,  "For  the  priest's 
lips  should  keep  knowledge,  and  they  should  seek  the  law  at 
his  mouth :  for  he  is  the  messenger  of  Jehovah  of  hosts."  But 
as  to  all  the  rest  who  come  to  episcopal  sees,  to  canonries,  and 
all  such  priestly  offices,  in  which  there  is  not  the  ministry  of  the 
Word,  I  do  not  see  that  they  have  need  of  any  calling  at  all. 
For  in  all  these  offices  there  is  nothing  more  sought  at  this  day 
than  a  private  serving  of  God,  in  which,  as  Paul  saith,  i  Cor. 
-j-.-j,  "Every  man  hath  his  proper  gift  of  God,  one  after  this 
manner  and  another  after  that." 

Yet  those  are  not  to  be  rejected  and  cast  out,  who,  moved 

by  godly  desire  and  despising  riches,  fame,  and  their  own  life, 

have  a  desire  to  teach  the  Word,  though  their  cases  are  very 

rare,  nay,  they  are  rather  to  be  commended  ;  as  the  apostle  saith, 

I  Tim.  3:1,  "Faithful  is  the  saying,  if  a  man  seeketh  the  office 

of  a  bishop,  he  desireth  a  good  work."     But  why  the  apostle 

says  it  is  a  "faithful  saying"  and  why  he  calls  it  "a  good  work" 

is  shown  in  what  immediately  follows  :    "The  bishop  therefore 

must  be  without  reproach,  the  husband  of  one  wife,  temperate, 

sober-minded,  orderly,  given  to  hospitality,  apt  to  teach"  etc. 

As  therefore  the  apostle  would  say  these  are  the  works  of  a 

bishop,  he  that  desireth  the  office  of  a  bishop,  desireth  a  good 

work.    For  that  office  requires  one  that  is  a  despiser  of  glory,  of 

fame,  of  his  own  life,  and  of  all  things,  because  it  is  a  ministry 

of  truth.    And  these  things  Christ  foretold  when  he  said,  IMatt. 

10:22,  "And  ye  shall  be  hated  of  all  men  for  my  name's  sake." 

And  as  those  can  scarcely  endure  this  who  were  drawn  to  the 

work  against  their  will  by  the  power  of  God,  that  man  must 

in  vain  hope  to  endure  it  who  has  sought  after  the  office  of  his 

own  accord,  or  who  has  not  been  moved  to  it  by  some  singular 

impulse  of  grace  within. 


442  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

It  now  follows  in  the  verse,  "because  of  thine  enemies ;"  that 
is,  thine  adversaries,  or  as  we  have  already  often  translated  that 
noun,  thine  oppressors.    As  this,  therefore,  may  be  rightly  said 
of  the  incarnate  God,  for  God  himself  cannot  be  oppressed  nor 
suffer  from  adversaries,  that  we  may  go  on  with  the  same  ac- 
ceptation of  the  Psalm  as  that  with  which  we  began,  let  us  un- 
derstand all  these  things  as  spoken  of   the  Son,  as  those  of  the 
verse  preceding  were  of  the  Father.    We  are  comforted  by  this 
Word,  because  we  hear  the  Holy  Ghost  declare  that  these  ad- 
versaries are  not  ours  but  the  adversaries  of  God,  for  they  are 
the  adversaries  of  him  whose  Word  and  v/ork  they  persecute. 
And  as  it  is  not  we  that  speak  and  work,  but  God  in  us ;  so  it 
is  not  we  that  suffer  and  are  despised,  but  God  in  us.    Thus 
the  apostle  dares  to  say,  Eph.  4 :30,  "And  grieve  not  the  Holy 
Spirit  of  God,  in  whom  ye  were  sealed  unto  the  day  of  re- 
demption."   And  Zech.  2  :8,  "For  he  that  toucheth  you  toucheth 
the  apple  of  his  eye;"  though  our  ecclesiastical     ones     have 
twisted  this  around  as  applying  to  priests  only,  as  if  the  laity 
were  not  also  partakers  of  the  Holy  Spirit.    Again,  i  Sam.  2  130, 
"And  they  that  despise  me  shall  be  lightly  esteemed.."     Why 
then  are  we  filled  with  fear  and  disquieted  if  ungodly  men  fight 
against  our  word  or  work  ?    Let  us  leave  them  to  rage  on ;  or 
rather,  let  ws  pray  for  them  that  their  eyes  may  be  opened  and 
that  they  may  see  that  it  is  not  against  us  they  run  but  against 
God  himself. 

What  is  it  then  'for  strength  to  be  perfected  out  of  the 
mouth  of  babes  and  sucklings,  because  of  the  enemies  ?'  Why, 
David  here  still  goes  on  to  comfort  us  under  all  our  weakness, 
and  so  hold  forth  to  our  view  the  wonderful  power  of  God.  As 
if  he  had  said.  There  shall  rise  up  against  these  helpless  infants 
a  powerful  Pharaoh,  and  the  sons  of  men  shall  open  their 
mouths  against  them ;  magicians  shall  not  be  wanting,  nor  a 
Jannes  and  a  Jambres  who  shall  be  most  powerful  both  in  might 
and  craft,  and  shall  resist  the  Word  of  truth.  Because  of  these, 
I  say,  saith  David,  that  they  might  not  prevail,  but,  as  Paul 


PSALM  VIII.  443 

saith,  2  Tim.  3  -.g,  that  their  folly  might  be  made  manifest  to  all 
men,  he  shall  give  them  a  mouth  and  wisdom  which  all  their 
adversaries  shall  not  be  able  to  resist  or  gainsa3^  For,  as  the 
Hebrew  terms  them,  there  are  always  "giants"  and  '"murderers" 
upon  the  earth  and  "men  of  renown,"  who,  trusting  to  their  own 
strength  and  violence,  rush  upon  and  oppress  the  weak  and 
simple  infants  who  are  preachers  of  the  Word  of  truth.  But  all 
this  is  permitted  that  the  power  of  the  Word  which  proceeds 
from  their  mouth  might  be  made  manifest  and  perfected,  while 
God  confounds  the  mighty  by  the  weak  and  the  wise  by  the  fool- 
ish, and  brings  to  naught  things  that  are  by  the  things  that  are 
not.    Hence  it  now  follows, 

"That  thou  mightest  still  the  enemy  and  avenger."  Jerome 
translates  it,  'that  the  enemy  and  avenger  might  rest ;'  that  is, 
that  he  might  cease,  desist,  and  rest  from  his  evil  works.  The 
Hebrew  is,  that  a  sabbath,  that  is,  that  rest  might  come ;  that 
it  might  show  that  the  enemies  and  avengers  must  either  cease 
or  be  destroyed ;  according  to  Ps.  104 :35,  "Let  sinners  be  con- 
sumed out  of  the  earth,  and  let  the  wicked  be  no  more."  Or 
else  it  shows,  that  they  are  to  be  changed  into  friends,  and  those 
that  shall  suffer  also ;  according  to  the  words  of  the  prophet  Is. 
2  :4,  "And  they  shall  beat  their  swords  into  ploughshares,  and 
their  spears  into  pruning-hooks ;"  which  is  an  allegorical  figure 
to  signify  the  changing  of  evil  and  destructive  into  wholesome 
tongues. 

The  words  "enemy  and  avenger"  signify  figuratively  all 
enemies  and  avengers.  All  are  enemies  who  think  and  act  con- 
trary to  us.  They  are  moreover  called  "avengers"  because  they 
madly  contend  against  the  babes  and  sucklings  of  God  in  de- 
fence of  their  own  principles  and  pursuits,  as  they  say,  Ps.  2  13, 
"Let  us  break  their  bonds  asunder  and  cast  away  their  cords 
from  us."  But  there  follows,  in  the  same  place,  the  manner 
in  which  such  shall  be  destroyed,  ver.  5,  "Then  shall  he  speak 
unto  them  in  his  wrath  and  vex  them  in  his  sore  displeasure." 
Though,  as  for  myself  I  believe  it  is  a  saving  destruction  that 


444  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

is  signified  in  this  Psalm,  by  which,  as  I  said,  the  ungodly  man 
is  destroyed,  in  order  to  his  becoming  godly;  for  this  is  the 
peculiar  work  of  Christ  in  the  church,  and  this  is  the  work  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  and  is  wrought  by  the  peaceful  Word  of  the 
Gospel  rather  than  by  the  impetuous  violence  of  wrath  and 
fury.  The  proof  of  this  seems  to  be  David's  saying,  that  all 
these  are  to  be  wrought  by  no  other  means  than  out  of  the 
mouth  of  babes  and  sucklings,  and  that  it  is  out  of  their  mouth 
only  that  this  strength  is  to  be  perfected. 

Now  he  goes  on  to  show  what  are  the  disposition  and  man- 
ners of  these  adversaries  of  the  Word.  In  the  first  place,  he 
shows  that  they  are  flesh  and  blood;  as  he  saith,  Ps.  ii6:ii, 
"All  men  are  liars :"  they  are  above  all  things  unable  to  endure 
that  truth  which  mortifies  the  flesh.  For  the  wisdom  and  pru- 
dence of  the  flesh  is  "enmity  against  God,  because  it  is  not  sub- 
ject to  the  law  of  God  neither  indeed  can  be,"  as  Paul  saith, 
Rom.  8 :/.  Moreover  when  this  truth  is  spoken  by  babes,  those 
wise  ones  of  the  world,  considering  that  understanding  in- 
sulted in  which  they  boast  themselves,  not  only  become  enemies, 
but  under  a  false  external  pretext,  and  under  the  name  of  truth, 
arm  themselves  with  zeal  to  revenge  the  insult  offered  to  their 
understandings,  and  never  rest  until  they  have  suppressed  and 
slain  these  apostles  of  the  truth  under  pretence  of  defending 
the  glory  of  God  and  the  truth,  or  as  the  common  term  is  now- 
a-days,  for  the  honor  of  the  holy  church.  So  general,  usual, 
nay  necessary  a  consequence  is  it,  that  he  who  is  an  enemy  to 
the  truth  of  God  must  also  become  an  avenging  defender  of  his 
own  lies.  Though  we  find  this  evil  to  be  general  in  all  causes 
both  profane  and  sacred,  yet,  in  the  latter,  where  a  holy  pre- 
tence can  be  more  conveniently  made,  it  triumphs  with  ease  and 
security. 

Let  every  one  therefore  who  is  called  or  who  attempts  to 
teach  the  Word,  be  instructed  and  assured,  that  he  will  have 
adversaries  who  will  not  only  not  hear  what  he  has  to  say,  but 
will,  when  he  offends  against  their  opinions  and  pursuits,  which 


PSALM  VIII.  445 

he  must  of  necessity  do,  become  his  most  bitter  enemies  and 
persecutors.  These  words  of  the  Spirit  however  which  bring 
the  babes  into  a  contention  with  enemies  and  avengers  will 
not  lie ;  the  contest  may  be  fearful,  but  it  is  so  managed  by  di- 
vine power,  and  will  end  so  well,  that  if  the  babe  does  but  be- 
lieve that  the  matter  is  conducted  by  the  counsels  of  God  and 
not  by  his  own,  and  if  he  does  but  concern  himself  about  of- 
fering his  mouth  to  him  that  speaketh  in  him,  and  does  but 
leave  himself  in  his  hands  as  the  mere  instrument  of  the  Word, 
that  Word  perfecting  will  perfect  strength,  and  destroying  will 
destroy  the  adversary. 

Moreover,  he  that  so  teaches  as  not  to  find  an  enemy  to  re- 
sist, and  an  avenger  to  persecute,  because  he  teaches  out  of  the 
rule  laid  down  in  this  verse,  let  him  not  presume  to  himself 
that  he  is  a  perfect  and  pure  preacher  of  the  Word.  But  if 
enemies  and  avengers  rise  up  and  rush  upon  him,  saying,  "Let 
us  break  their  bands  asunder  and  cast  away  their  cords  from 
us,"  or  if  they  shall  taunt  him  as  they  did  the  prophets,  saying, 
"What  is  the  burden  of  the  Lord?"  or  shall  serve  them  as  Ze- 
dekiah  did  Micaiah,  i  Kings  22  124,  and  say,  "Which  way  went 
the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  from  me  to  speak  unto  thee  ?"  Art  thou 
the  only  wise  one  in  the  world?  Let  such  an  one  be  of  good 
J.o]K\  knowing,according  to  this  verse,  that  he  is  a  babe  and  a 
suckling,  but  that  his  enemies  are  Nimrods  and  giants :  for  this 
is  v»hat  we  see  came  upon  all  the  prophets,  upon  Christ  himself, 
upon  the  apostles,  and  upon  all  the  ministers  of  the  Word. 
The  example  of  whom,  like  a  thick  cloud,  ought  to  animate  us, 
for  we  see  all  such  examples  to  accord  most  exactly  with  this 
scripture. 

From  this  it  follov/s  that  all  those  laws  and  rites  of  men 
and  also  all  those  dumb  and  sleepy  systems  of  theology  drawn 
up  by  mere  oppositionists,  were  never  the  strength  that  was 
perfected  out  of  the  mouth  of  babes  and  sucklings,  and  that 
I  hey  have  nothing  whatever  in  them  that  agrees  with  the 
description  given  in  this  verse,  because  no  one  of  all  such  com- 


44^  LUTHER  ON  THE  PSALMS. 

pilers  was  ever  known  to  suffer  any  evil  or  persecution  on  ac- 
count of  their  profession  or  writings ;  unless  perhaps  it  be  a 
little  abuse  in  a  bickering  or  quarrelling,  like  that  of  women, 
for  they  are  never  compelled  by  mere  opinions  to  suft'er  the 
peril  of  fire  and  death,  until  they  have  been  brought  forth  and 
instructed  in  the  scriptures,  and  have  begun  to  preach  the  Word 
of  God.  Nay  rather,  such  are  adorned  with  titles  and  honors 
and  high  places  and  names;  they  are  saluted  in  the  market 
place,  and  are  called  Rabbi,  as  is  the  case  with  all  otir  great 
doctors  and  teachers. 

Such  a  doctrine  as  this  of  human  framing,  therefore,  has 
no  enemies  and  persecutors,  except  it  be  in  the  same  way  as 
Pilate  and  Herod  contended  together,  and  the  Pharisees  and 
Sadducees.  For  it  would  not  take  much  to  stir  up  all  the  dis- 
ciples of  Thomas,  of  Scotus,  of  Modernus,  together  with  all 
the  priests,  bishops,  and  religionists  at  this  day,  and  to  bring 
them  all  to  stand  together  against  Christ,  though  they  are  al- 
ways in  a  continual  state  of  contention  among  each  other ;  thus 
the  prophet  justly  wonders,  in  the  second  Psalm,  that  all  the 
kings  of  the  earth,  though  the  greatest  enemies  to  each  other, 
yet  stood  up  against  him.  And  so,  all  the  princes  and  elders 
among  priests,  though  completely  divided  among  each  other 
in  mutual  factions,  yet  all  assemble  together  against  the  Lord 
and  against  his  Christ. 

These  things  I  wished  to  say  unto  those  who  desire  to 
speak  the  Word  of  God  and  administer  it  purely,  that  they 
m.ay  know  that,  according  to  this  verse,  they  will  ever  have 
the  more  and  greater  enemies  and  avengers,  the  more  corrupt 
these  latter  times  are,  and  the  more  specious  outside  show  there 
is  of  titles,  names,  dignities,  offices,  and  rites,  under  the  name 
of  Christ.  Let  such,  therefore,  bear  in  mind,  that  this  truth 
is  certain.  'Out  of  the  mouths  of  both  babes  and  sucklings, 
saith  God,  I  only  perfect  strength ;  which  shall  have  enemies, 
but  which  shall  destroy  the  enemy  and  avenger'. 


1012  01195   7356 


Date  Due 


